South East Asian Cuisine - Vietnam and Indonesia

ASIAN CUISINE
MIDTERM PERIOD
TOPIC 3: SOUTH EAST ASIAN CUISINE- VIETNAM AND INDONESIA
Learning Objectives:
After studying, you will be able to:
 Understand the various ingredients of Thai and Philippine Cuisine.
 Identify the ethnic origin of Thai and Philippine dishes.
VIETNAMESE CUISINE
Vietnamese cuisine encompasses the foods and beverages of Vietnam, and features a
combination of five fundamental tastes (Vietnamese: ngũ vị) in overall meals. Each Vietnamese
dish has a distinctive flavor which reflects one or more of these elements. Common ingredients
include shrimp paste, fish sauce, bean sauce, rice, fresh herbs, fruit and vegetables. French
cuisine has also had a major influence due to the French colonization of Vietnam. Vietnamese
recipes use lemongrass, ginger, mint, Vietnamese mint, long coriander, Saigon cinnamon, bird's
eye chili, lime, and Thai basil leaves. Traditional Vietnamese cooking is greatly admired for its
fresh ingredients, minimal use of dairy and oil, complementary textures, and reliance on herbs
and vegetables. It is also low in sugar and is almost always naturally gluten-free, as many of
the dishes are made with rice noodles, rice papers and rice flour instead of wheat. With the
balance between fresh herbs and meats and a selective use of spices to reach a fine taste,
Vietnamese food is considered one of the healthiest cuisines worldwide.
Philosophical Importance
Vietnamese cuisine always has five elements which are known for its balance in each of
these features. Many Vietnamese dishes include five fundamental taste senses ( ngũ vị): spicy
(metal), sour (wood), bitter (fire), salty (water) and sweet (earth), corresponding to five organs
(ngũ tạng): gall bladder, small intestine, large intestine, stomach, and urinary bladder.
Vietnamese dishes also include five types of nutrients ( ngũ chất): powder, water or
liquid, mineral elements, protein, and fat. Vietnamese cooks try to have five colours ( ngũ sắc):
white (metal), green (wood), yellow (earth), red (fire) and black (water) in their dishes.
Dishes in Vietnam appeal to gastronomes via the five senses ( năm giác quan): food
arrangement attracts eyes, sounds come from crisp ingredients, five spices are detected on the
tongue, aromatic ingredients coming mainly from herbs stimulate the nose, and some meals,
especially finger food, can be perceived by touching.
Five-element correspondence
Vietnamese cuisine is influenced by the Asian principle of five elements and Mahābhūta.
Elements
Correspondence
Wood Fire Earth Metal Water
Spices (ngũ vị) Sour Bitter Sweet Spicy Salty
Organs (ngũ Small Large Urinary

Gall bladder Stomach
tạng) intestine intestine bladder
Colors (ngũ
Green Red Yellow White Black
sắc)
Senses (ngũ
Visual Taste Touch Smell Sound
giác)
Nutrients (ngũ Carbohydrates Fat Protein Minerals Water
DR. LONEY FARILLON-PULMONES| 1

chất)
Yin-yang balance
The principle of yin and yang (Vietnamese: Âm dương) is applied in composing a meal
in a way that provides a balance that is beneficial for the body. While contrasting texture and
flavors are important, the principle primarily concerns the "heating" and "cooling" properties of
ingredients. Certain dishes are served in their respective seasons to provide contrasts in
temperature and spicies of the food and environment. Some examples are:
 Duck meat, considered "cool", is served during the hot summer with ginger fish sauce, which
is "warm". Conversely, chicken, which is "warm", and pork, which is "hot", are eaten in the
winter.
 Seafoods ranging from "cool" to "cold" are suitable to use with ginger ("warm").
 Spicy foods ("hot") are typically balanced with sourness, which is considered "cool".
 Balut (trứng vịt lộn), meaning "upside-down egg" ("cold"), must be combined
with Vietnamese mint (rau răm) ("hot").
Cultural Importance
Salt is used as the connection between the worlds of the living and the dead. Bánh phu
thê is used to remind new couples of perfection and harmony at their weddings. Food is often
placed at the ancestral altar as an offering to the dead on special occasions (such as Lunar New
Year). Cooking and eating play an extremely important role in Vietnamese culture. The
word ăn (to eat) is included in a great number of proverbs and has a large range of semantic
extensions.
Regional Variations
The mainstream culinary traditions in all three regions of Vietnam share some
fundamental features:
 Freshness of food: Most meats are only briefly cooked. Vegetables are eaten fresh; if they are
cooked, they are boiled or only briefly stir-fried.
 Presence of herbs and vegetables: Herbs and vegetables are essential to many Vietnamese
dishes and are often abundantly used.
 Variety and harmony of textures: Crisp with soft, watery with crunchy, delicate with rough.
 Broths or soup-based dishes are common in all three regions.
 Presentation: The condiments accompanying Vietnamese meals are usually colorful and
arranged in eye-pleasing manners.
While sharing some key features, Vietnamese culinary tradition differs from region to
region.
In northern Vietnam, a colder climate limits the production and availability of spices. As
a result, the foods there are often less spicy than those in other regions. Black pepper is used in
place of chilies as the most popular ingredient to produce spicy flavors. In general, northern
Vietnamese cuisine is not bold in any particular taste—sweet, salty, spicy, bitter, or sour. Most
northern Vietnamese foods feature light and balanced flavors that result from subtle
combinations of many different flavoring ingredients. The use of meats such as pork, beef, and
chicken were relatively limited in the past. Freshwater fish, crustaceans, and mollusks, such
as prawns, squids, shrimps, crabs, clams, and mussels, are widely used. Many notable dishes
of northern Vietnam are crab-centered (e.g., bún riêu). Fish sauce, soy sauce, prawn sauce,
and limes are among the main flavoring ingredients. Being the cradle of Vietnamese civilization,
northern Vietnam produces many signature dishes of Vietnam, such as bún riêu and bánh cuốn,
which were carried to central and southern Vietnam through Vietnamese migration. Other
famous Vietnamese dishes that originated from the north, particularly from Hanoi include "bún
chả" (rice noodle with grilled marinated pork), phở gà (rice noodle with chicken), chả cá Lã
Vọng (rice noodle with grilled fish).
The abundance of spices produced by Central Vietnam's mountainous terrain makes this
region's cuisine notable for its spicy food, which sets it apart from the two other regions of
Vietnam where foods are mostly not spicy. Once the capital of the last dynasty of Vietnam,

Huế's culinary tradition features highly decorative and colorful food, reflecting the influence of
ancient Vietnamese royal cuisine. The region's cuisine is also notable for its sophisticated meals
consisting of many complex dishes served in small portions. Chili peppers and shrimp sauces
are among the frequently used ingredients. Some Vietnamese signature dishes produced
in central Vietnam are bún bò Huế and bánh khoái.
The warm weather and fertile soil of southern Vietnam create an ideal condition for
growing a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and livestock. As a result, foods in southern
Vietnam are often vibrant and flavorful, with liberal uses of garlic, shallots, and fresh herbs.
Sugar is added to food more than in the other regions. The preference for sweetness in
southern Vietnam can also be seen through the widespread use of coconut milk in southern
Vietnamese cuisine. Vast shorelines make seafood a natural staple for people in this region.
Some signature seafood dishes from southern Vietnam include bánh khọt and bún mắm.
Cooking Techniques
Some common Vietnamese culinary terms include:
 Rán, chiên – fried dishes
 Chiên nước mắm – fried then tossed with fish sauce
 Chiên bột – battered then deep-fried
 Rang – dry-fried dishes without oil
 Áp chảo – pan-fried then sautéed
 Xào – stir fry, sautéing
 Xào tỏi – stir fry with garlic, very common way of cooking vegetables
 Xào sả ớt – sautéed with lemongrass and chili pepper
 Xào lăn – pan searing or stir frying quickly to cook raw meat
 Xáo măng – braised or sautéed with bamboo shoots
 Nhồi thịt – stuffed with minced meat before cooking
 Sốt chua ngọt – fried with sweet and sour sauce
 Kho – stew, braised dishes
 Kho khô – literally dried stew (until the sauce thickens)
 Kho tiêu/kho gừng/kho riềng – stewed with peppercorns/ginger/galangal
 Nấu – means cooking, usually in a pot
 Nấu nước dừa – cooked with coconut water
 Hầm/ninh – slow-cook with spices or other ingredients
 Canh – broth-like soup to be served over rice
 Rim – simmering
 Luộc – boiling with water, usually fresh vegetables and meat
 Chần – blanche
 Hấp – steamed dishes
 Hấp sả – steamed with lemongrass
 Hấp Hồng Kông or hấp xì dầu – "Hong Kong-style" steamed dish (i.e.: with scallion,
ginger and soy sauce)
 Om – clay pot cooking of northern style
 Om sữa – cooked in clay pot with milk
 Om chuối đậu – cooked with young banana and tofu
 Gỏi – salad dishes, usually with meat, fish
 Nộm – salads, usually meatless
 Nướng – grilled dishes
 Nướng xiên – skewered dishes
 Nướng ống tre – cooked in bamboo tubes over fire
 Nướng mọi/nướng trui/thui – char-grilled over open fire
 Nướng đất sét/lá chuối – cooked in a clay mould or banana leaves wrap, or recently,
kitchen foil, hence the method has evolved into nướng giấy bạc
 Nướng muối ớt – marinated with salt and chili pepper before being grilled
 Nướng tỏi – marinated with garlic then grilled
 Nướng mỡ hành – grilled then topped with melted lard, peanuts, and chopped green onions
 Bằm – sauteed mix of chopped ingredients
 Cháo – congee dishes
 Súp – soup dishes (not canh or clear broth soup)

 Rô ti – roasting then simmering meat, usually with strong spices
 Cà ri – curry or curry-like dishes
 Quay – roasted dishes
 Lẩu – hot pot dishes
 Nhúng dấm – cooked in a vinegar-based hot pot, some variations include vinegar and
coconut water-based hot pot
 Cuốn – any dish featuring rice paper wraps with bún and fresh herbs
 Bóp thấu/tái chanh – raw meat or seafood prepared with lime or vinegar
Typical Vietnamese Family Meal

A typical meal for the average Vietnamese family would include:
 Cơm: Boiled white rice
 Món mặn or Main dish: Fish/seafood, meat, tofu (grilled, boiled, steamed, stewed or stir-
fried with vegetables)
 Rau: Sauteed, boiled or raw fresh green vegetables
 Canh (a clear broth with vegetables and often meat or seafood) or other kinds of soup
 Nước chấm: Dipping sauces and condiments depending on the main dishes, such as pure
fish sauce, ginger fish sauce, tamarind fish sauce, soy sauce, muối tiêu chanh (salt and
pepper with lime juice) or muối ớt (salt and chili)
 Small dish of relishes, such as salted eggplant, pickled white cabbage, pickled papaya,
pickled garlic or pickled bean sprouts
 Tráng miệng or Desserts: Fresh fruits or sweets, such as chè.
All dishes except individual bowls of rice are communal and are to be shared in the
middle of the table. It is also customary for the younger people to ask/wait for the elders to eat
first and the woman who sits right next to the rice pot serve rice for other people. People
should "invite" the others to enjoy the meal (somehow similar to saying "Enjoy your meal"), in
order from the elders to younger people. They also pick up food for each other as an action of
care.
Popular Dishes
 Pho – beef noodle soup
 Bún bò hue – spicy beef and pork noodle soup
 Com tam – pork dish
 Canh chua – sour soup
 Banh hoi – thin noodle dish with meat
 Bo la lot – rolled spiced beef dish
 Banh mi thit – Vietnamese baguette
 Vietnamese salad rolls
 Banh cuon –rice flour rolls
 Banh bao – a steamed bun dumpling
 Banh chung – sticky rice dish
 Bun mang vit – bamboo shoots and duck noodle soup
 Bun cha – grilled pork and vermicelli noodles dish
INDONESIAN CUISINE
Indonesian cuisine is a collection of various regional culinary traditions that formed
the archipelagic nation of Indonesia. There are a wide variety of recipes and cuisines in part
because Indonesia is composed of approximately 6,000 populated islands of the total 17,508 in
the world's largest archipelago, with more than 300 ethnic groups calling Indonesia
home. Many regional cuisines exist, often based upon indigenous culture with some foreign
influences. Indonesia has around 5,350 traditional recipes, with 30 of them considered the most

important. Indonesia's cuisine may include rice, noodle and soup dishes in modest local eateries
to street-side snacks and top-dollar plates.
Indonesian cuisine varies greatly by region and has many different influences.
Sumatran cuisine, for example, often has Middle Eastern and Indian influences, featuring
curried meat and vegetables such as gulai and curry, while Javanese cuisine is mostly
indigenous, with some hint of Chinese influence. The cuisines of Eastern Indonesia are similar
to Polynesian and Melanesian cuisine. Elements of Chinese cuisine can be seen in Indonesian
cuisine: foods such as noodles, meat balls, and spring rolls have been completely assimilated.
Throughout its history, Indonesia has been involved in trade due to its location and
natural resources. Additionally, Indonesia's indigenous techniques and ingredients were
influenced by India, the Middle East, China, and finally Europe. Spanish and Portuguese traders
brought New World produce even before the Dutch came to colonize most of the archipelago.
The Indonesian islands The Moluccas (Maluku), which are famed as "the Spice Islands", also
contributed to the introduction of native spices, such as cloves and nutmeg, to Indonesian and
global cuisine.
Indonesian cuisine often demonstrates complex flavour, acquired from certain
ingredients and bumbu spices mixture. Indonesian dishes have rich flavours; most often
described as savory, hot and spicy, and also combination of basic tastes such as sweet,
salty, sour and bitter. Most Indonesians favour hot and spicy food, thus sambal, Indonesian hot
and spicy chili sauce with various optional ingredients, notably shrimp paste, shallots, and
others, is a staple condiment at all Indonesian tables. Seven main Indonesian cooking methods
are frying, grilling, roasting, dry roasting, sautéing, boiling and steaming.
Some popular Indonesian dishes such as nasi goreng, gado-gado, satay, and soto
are ubiquitous in the country and are considered national dishes. The official national dish of
Indonesia however, is tumpeng, chosen in 2014 by Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Creative
Economy as the dish that binds the diversity of Indonesia's various culinary traditions. However,
later in 2018, the same ministry has chosen 5 national dish of Indonesia; they are soto,
rendang, satay, nasi goreng, and gado-gado.
Indonesia is the home of sate; one of the country's national dishes, there are many
variants across Indonesia.
Today, some popular dishes that originated in Indonesia are now common to
neighbouring countries, Malaysia and Singapore. Indonesian dishes such as satay,
beef rendang, and sambal are favoured in Malaysia and Singapore. Soy-based dishes, such as
variations of tofu and tempeh, are also very popular. Tempeh is regarded as a Javanese
invention, a local adaptation of soy-based food fermentation and production. Another
fermented food is oncom, similar in some ways to tempeh but using a variety of bases (not only
soy), created by different fungi, and particularly popular in West Java.
History
Indonesian cuisine has a long history—although most of it is not well-documented, and
relied heavily on local practice and oral traditions. A rare instance however, is demonstrated by
Javanese cuisine that somewhat has quite a well-documented culinary tradition. The diversity
ranges from ancient bakar batu or stone-grilled yams and boar practiced by Papuan tribes of
eastern Indonesia, to sophisticated contemporary Indonesian fusion cuisine. The ethnic
diversity of Indonesian archipelago provides an eclectic combination — mixing local Javanese,
Sundanese, Balinese, Minang, Malay and other native cuisine traditions, with centuries worth of
foreign contacts with Indian traders, Chinese migrants and Dutch colonials.
Rice has been an essential staple for Indonesian society, as bas-reliefs of 9 th century
Borobudur and Prambanan describes rice farming in ancient Java. Ancient dishes were
mentioned in many Javanese inscriptions and historians have succeeded in deciphering some of
them. The inscriptions from Medang Mataram era circa 8th to 10th century mentioned several
ancient dishes, among others are hadaŋan haraŋ (minced water buffalo meat satay, similar with
today Balinese sate lilit), hadaŋan madura (water buffalo meat simmered with sweet palm
sugar), and dundu puyengan (eel seasoned with lemon basil). Also various haraŋ-haraŋ (grilled
meats) either celeṅ/wök (pork), hadahan/kbo (water buffalo), kidaŋ/knas (deer)
or wḍus (goat). Ancient beverages include nalaka rasa (sugarcane juice), jati wangi (jasmine

beverage), and kinca (tamarind juice). Also various kuluban (boiled vegetables served in spices,
similar with today urap) and phalamula (boiled yams and tubers served with liquid palm
sugar). Other ancient vegetable dishes include rumwah-rumwah (lalap), dudutan (raw
vegetables) and tetis.
The 9th century Old Javanese Kakawin Ramayana mentioned cooking technique
as Trijata offered Sita some food (canto 17.101); scrumptious food of landuga tatla-tila (cooked
with oil) and modakanda sagula (sugared delicacies).
Several foods were mentioned in several Javanese inscriptions dated from 10th century
to 15th century. Some of this dishes are identified with present-day Javanese foods. Among
others are pecel, pindang, rarawwan (rawon), rurujak (rujak), kurupuk (krupuk), sweets
like wajik and dodol, also beverages like dawet.
In the 15th century Sundanese manuscript Sanghyang Siksa Kandang Karesian, it was
mentioned the common Sundanese food flavours of that times which includes; lawana (salty) ,
kaduka (hot and spicy), tritka (bitter), amba (sour), kasaya (savoury), and madura (sweet).
By the 13th to 15th century, coastal Indonesian polities began to absorb culinary
influences from India and the Middle East, as evidence with the adoption of curry-like recipes in
the region. This was especially affirmative in the coastal towns of Aceh, Minangkabau lands of
West Sumatra, and Malay ports of Sumatra and Malay peninsula. Subsequently, those culinary
traditions displayed typical Indian culinary influences, such as kare (curry), roti cane and gulai.
This was also went hand in hand with the adoption of Islamic faith, thus
encouraged halal Muslim dietary law that omits pork. On the other hand, the indigenous
inhabitant that resides inland—such as the Bataks and Dayaks, retains their older Austronesian
culinary traditions, which incorporate bushmeat, pork and blood in their daily diet.
Indonesian spices (bumbu) including peppercorn, clove, cinnamon and nutmeg. The
famed 16th century spice trade has prompted European traders to seek spices' sources as far
as Indonesian archipelago.
According to the 17th century account of Rijklof van Goens, the ambassador of
the VOC for Sultan Agung's Javanese Mataram court, the techniques of meat processing
(sheep, goats, and buffalo) during celebration in Java, was by grilling and frying the seasoned
meat. However, unlike European, the Javanese only use coconut oil instead of butter.
Chinese immigrants has settled in Indonesian archipelago as early as Majapahit period
circa 15th century CE, and accelerated during Dutch colonial period. The Chinese settlers
introduced stir-frying technique that required the use of Chinese wok and small amount of
cooking oil. They also introduced some new Chinese cuisine—including soy sauce, noodles and
soybean processing technique to make tofu. Subsequently, soybean processing led to the
possibly accidental discovery of tempeh (fermented soybean cake). The earliest known
reference to tempeh appeared in 1815 in the Javanese manuscript of Serat Centhini.
The vigor of spice trade during the age of exploration has brought European traders to
Indonesian shores. Subsequently, European colonialism was established in the 19th
century Dutch East Indies. The influences of European cuisine—most notably the Portuguese
and Dutch, has introduced European techniques, especially in bread-making, pastries, cookies
and cake-baking.
Indonesian culinary tradition has been exposed to various influences. Regarding the
method of food processing techniques, each region has developed a specificity that ultimately
leads to localization of regional taste.
Customs, Serving and Consumption

Indonesian traditional meals usually consists of steamed rice as staple, surrounded by
vegetables and soup and meat or fish side dishes. In a typical family meal, the family members
gather around the table filled with steamed rice and several other dishes. Each dish is placed in
a separate communal large plate or in bowls. Each of these dishes has its own serving spoons,
used only to take parts of the dishes from the communal plate into one's own personal plate.
Each of the family members has their own personal plate that is first filled with steamed rice.
Usually the oldest family member or the husband has the right to initiate the meal, followed by
the rest of the family to help themselves with the dishes. Each of them take some portion of
dishes from the communal plates into their own individual plates.

Nasi goreng-sate combo with egg and krupuk, popular Indonesian dish among
foreigners.
On their personal plate, the steamed rice will soon be surrounded by two, three or more
dishes; vegetables and fish or meat, and maybe some fried dishes, sambal and krupuk. In
Indonesian customs — unlike in Japanese counterpart — it is quite acceptable to be seen to mix
the different flavoured dishes in a single personal plate during consumption. A practice
commonly found in nasi campur, nasi Padang, or during a buffet. The soupy dish however,
might be served in a separate small personal bowl. Today in contemporary Indonesian
restaurants, the set menu is often offered. This has led to the personal serving practice, in
similar fashion to those of Japanese cuisine, with a personal plate on a tray, a rattan or bamboo
container each with a separate small portion of dishes surrounding the rice. This can be found
in the presentation of nasi Bali.
Indonesian meals are commonly eaten with the combination of a spoon in the right
hand and fork in the left hand (to push the food onto the spoon). Unlike European dining
custom, knife however, is absent from dining table, thus most of the ingredients such as
vegetables and meat are already cut into bite-size pieces prior of cooking. Although, in many
parts of the country, such as West Java and West Sumatra, it is also common to eat with one's
bare hands. In restaurants or households that commonly use bare hands to eat, such as
seafood food stalls, traditional Sundanese and Minangkabau restaurants, or East
Javanese pecel lele (fried catfish with sambal) and ayam goreng (fried chicken) food
stalls, kobokan is usually served along with the food. Kobokan is a bowl of tap water with a
slice of lime in it to give a fresh scent, this bowl of water is not intended for consumption,
rather it is used to wash one's hand before and after eating. Eating with chopsticks is generally
only found in food stalls or restaurants serving Indonesian adaptations of Chinese cuisine, such
as bakmie or mie ayam (chicken noodle) with pangsit (wonton), mie goreng (fried noodles),
and kwetiau goreng (fried flat rice noodles).
Staples
Rice
Using water buffalo to plough rice fields in Java; rice is a staple for all classes in
contemporary; Indonesia is the world's third largest paddy rice producer and its cultivation has
transformed much of Indonesia's landscape.
Rice is a staple for all classes in contemporary Indonesia, and it holds the central place
in Indonesian culture: it shapes the landscape; is sold at markets; and is served in most meals
both as a savoury and a sweet food. The importance of rice in Indonesian culture is
demonstrated through the reverence of Dewi Sri, the rice goddess of ancient Java and Bali.
Traditionally the agricultural cycles linked to rice cultivations were celebrated through
rituals, such as Seren Taun rice harvest festival.
Rice is most often eaten as plain rice with just a few protein and vegetable dishes as
side dishes. It is also served, however, as nasi uduk (rice cooked in coconut milk), nasi
kuning (rice cooked with coconut milk and turmeric), ketupat (rice steamed in woven packets of
coconut fronds), lontong (rice steamed in banana leaves), intip or rengginang (rice crackers),
desserts, vermicelli, noodles, arak beras (rice wine), and nasi goreng (fried rice). Nasi goreng is
omnipresent in Indonesia and considered as national dish.
The ubiquitous nasi goreng (fried rice), considered one of Indonesia's national dishes, it
has rich variants, this one uses green stinky bean and goat meat.
Rice was only incorporated into diets, however, as either the technology to grow it or
the ability to buy it from elsewhere was gained. Evidence of wild rice on the island of Sulawesi
dates from 3000 BCE. Evidence for the earliest cultivation, however, comes from the eighth
century stone inscriptions from the central island of Java, which shows that kings levied taxes in
rice. The images of rice cultivation, rice barns, and pest mice infesting a rice field is evident in
Karmawibhanga bas-reliefs of Borobudur. Divisions of labour between men, women, and
animals that are still in place in Indonesian rice cultivation, were carved into relief friezes on the
ninth century Prambanan temples in Central Java: a water buffalo attached to a plough; women
planting seedlings and pounding grain; and a man carrying sheaves of rice on each end of a

pole across his shoulders (pikulan). In the sixteenth century, Europeans visiting the Indonesian
islands saw rice as a new prestige food served to the aristocracy during ceremonies and feasts.
Rice production in Indonesian history is linked to the development of iron tools and the
domestication of wild Asian water buffalo as water buffalo for cultivation of fields and manure
for fertilizer. Rice production requires exposure to the sun. Once covered in dense forest, much
of the Indonesian landscape has been gradually cleared for permanent fields and settlements as
rice cultivation developed over the last fifteen hundred years.
Wheat
Wheat is not a native plant to Indonesia, however through imports and foreign
influences — most notably Chinese and Dutch — Indonesians began to develop a taste for
wheat-based foodstuff, especially Chinese noodles, Indian roti, and Dutch bread. Other than
common steamed rice, the Chinese in Indonesia also considered noodles, bakpao and cakwe as
staples. Yet in Indonesia, especially in Java and Sumatra, the rice culture was so prevalent that
sometimes these wheat-based dishes, such as noodles are treated as side dishes and are
consumed with rice, while others such as Chinese buns and cakwe are treated as snacks. The
European, especially the Portuguese and the Dutch, introduced bread and various type of
bakery and pastry. These European staples have now become alternatives for a quick breakfast.
The Indonesian wheat consumption reached a new height after the advent of
Indonesian instant noodle industry back in the 1970s. Since then Indonesia has become one of
the world's major producers and consumers of instant noodles. Indonesia is the world's second
largest instant noodle market only after China, with demand reaching 12.54 billion servings in
2018. Today, instant noodles have become a staple in Indonesian households for quick hot
meals. Certain brands such as Indomie have become household names.
Other staples
Papeda, staple food of eastern Indonesia, served with yellow soup and grilled mackerel.
Other staple foods in Indonesia include a number of starchy tubers such as yam, sweet
potato, potato, taro and cassava. Starchy fruit such as breadfruit and jackfruit and grains such
as maize are eaten. A sago congee called papeda is a staple food especially in Maluku and Papua.
Sago is often mixed with water and cooked as a simple pancake. Next to sago, people of eastern
Indonesia consume wild tubers as staple food.
Many types of tubers such as talas (a type of taro but larger and more bland) and breadfruit
are native to Indonesia, while others were introduced from elsewhere. Yam was introduced from
Africa; while potato, sweet potato, cassava and maize were introduced from the Americas through
Spanish influence and reached Java in the 17th century. Cassava is usually boiled, steamed, fried or
processed as a popular snack kripik singkong (cassava crackers). Dried cassava, locally known
as tiwul, is an alternate staple food in arid areas of Java such as Gunung Kidul and Wonogiri, while
other roots and tubers are eaten especially in hard times. Maize is eaten in drier regions such
as Madura and islands east of the Wallace Line, such as the Lesser Sunda Islands.
Vegetables
A number of leaf vegetables are widely used in Indonesian cuisine, such as kangkung,
spinach, genjer, melinjo, papaya and cassava leaves. These are often sauteed with garlic. Spinach
and corn are used in simple clear watery vegetable soup sayur bayam bening flavoured with temu
kunci, garlic and shallot. Clear vegetable soup includes sayur oyong. Other vegetables like
calabash, chayote, kelor, yardlong bean, eggplant, gambas and belustru, are cut and used in stir
fries, curries and soups like sayur asem, sayur lodeh or laksa. Daun ubi tumbuk is pounded cassava
leaves dish, commonly found in Sumatra, Kalimantan and Sulawesi. Sayur sop is cabbage,
cauliflower, potato, carrot, with macaroni spiced with black pepper, garlic and shallot in chicken or
beef broth. The similar mixed vegetables are also stir fried as cap cai, a popular dish of the Chinese
Indonesian cuisine. Tumis kangkung is a popular stir-fried water spinach dish.
Vegetables like winged bean, tomato, cucumber and the small variety of bitter melon are
commonly eaten raw, like in lalab. The large bitter melon variety is usually boiled. Kecombrang
and papaya flower buds are a common Indonesian vegetable. Urap is seasoned and spiced
shredded coconut mixed together with vegetables, asinan betawi are preserved vegetables. Gado-

gado and pecel are a salad of boiled vegetables dressed in a peanut-based spicy sauce,
while karedok is its raw version.
Vegetarianism in Indonesia
Vegetarianism is well represented in Indonesia, as there is a wide selection of vegetarian
dishes and meat substitutes that may be served. Dishes such as gado-gado, karedok, ketoprak,
tauge goreng, pecel, urap, rujak and asinan are vegetarian dishes. However, dishes that use peanut
sauce, such as gado-gado, karedok or ketoprak, might contain small amounts of shrimp paste,
called "terasi", for flavor. Shrimp paste is also often used to add flavour to spicy sambal chili paste
served with lalap assorted fresh vegetables. Fermented soy products, such as tempeh, "tahu" (tofu)
and oncom are prevalent as meat substitutes and as a source of vegetable protein. In contemporary
fusion cuisine, tempeh is used to replace meat patties and served as tempeh burger.
Most Indonesians do not practice strict vegetarianism and may consume vegetables or
vegetarian dishes for their taste, preference, economic and health reasons. Nevertheless, there are
small numbers of Indonesian Buddhists that practice vegetarianism for religious reasons.
Meat and Fish

The main animal protein sources in the Indonesian diet are mostly poultry and fish, however
meats such as beef, water buffalo, goat and mutton are commonly found in the Indonesian
marketplaces.
Poultry
The most common poultry consumed is chicken and duck, however to a lesser
amount, pigeon, quail and wild swamp bird such as watercock are also consumed. Traditionally,
Indonesians breed free-ranged chicken in the villages known as ayam kampung (village
chicken). Compared to common domesticated chicken, these village chicken are thinner and
their meat are slightly firmer. Various recipes of ayam goreng (fried chicken) and ayam
bakar (grilled chicken) are commonly found throughout Indonesia. Other than frying or grilling,
chicken might be cooked as soup, such as sup ayam and soto ayam, or cooked in coconut
milk as opor ayam. Chicken satay is also commonly found in Indonesia, it is a barbecued meat
on skewer served with peanut sauce. Popular chicken recipes such as ayam goreng
kalasan from Yogyakarta, ayam bakar padang from Padang, ayam taliwang from Lombok, ayam
betutu from Bali, and ayam goreng lengkuas (galangal fried chicken).
Meat
Beef and goat meat are the most commonly consumed meats in Indonesia, while
kerbau (water buffalo) and domestic sheep are also consumed to a lesser degree, since water
buffalo are more useful for ploughing the rice paddies, while sheep are kept for their wool or to
be used for the traditional entertainment of ram fighting. As a country with an Islamic majority,
Indonesian Muslims follows the Islamic halal dietary law which forbids the consumption of pork.
However, in other parts of Indonesia where there are significant numbers of non-Muslims, boar
and pork are commonly consumed. Dishes made of non-halal meats can be found in provinces
such as Bali, North Sumatra, North Sulawesi, East Nusa Tenggara, Maluku, West Kalimantan,
West Papua, and also in the Chinatowns of major Indonesian cities. Today to cater for the
larger Muslim market, most of the restaurants and eating establishments in Indonesia put halal
signs that signify that they serve neither pork nor any non-halal meats, nor do they use lard in
their cooking. With an overwhelming Muslim population and a relatively small population of
cattle, today Indonesians rely heavily on imported beef from Australia, New Zealand and
the United States which often results in a scarcity and raised prices of beef in the Indonesian
market.
The meat can be cooked in rich spices and coconut milk such as beef, goat or lamb
rendang, skewered, seasoned and grilled chicken or mutton as satay, barbecued meats, or
sliced and cooked in rich broth soup as soto. Muttons and various offals can be use as
ingredients for soto soup or gulai curry. In Bali, with its Hindu majority, the babi guling (pig
roast) is popular among locals as well as non-Muslim visitors, while the Batak people of North

Sumatra have babi panggang that is a similar dish. Wild boar are also commonly consumed
in Papua. The meat also can be processed to be thinly-sliced and dried as dendeng (jerky), or
made into abon (meat floss). Dendeng celeng is Indonesian "dried, jerked" boar meat. Raised
rabbits are also consumed as food in mountainous region of Indonesia.
Some exotic and rare game meat such as venison might be sold and consumed in wilder
parts of Indonesia. In West Nusa Tenggara, East Nusa Tenggara, and Papua, deer meat can be
found, usually wildly acquired by hunting. Other unusual and often controversial exotic meats
include frog legs consumed in Chinese Indonesian cuisine, horse meat consumed in Yogyakarta
and West Nusa Tenggara, turtle meat consumed in Bali and Eastern Indonsia, snake, biawak
(monitor lizard), paniki (fruit bats), dog meat, and field rats, consumed in Minahasan cuisine
of North Sulawesi. Batak cuisine of North Sumatra is also familiar with cooking dog meat.
Fish
In an archipelagic nation, seafood is abundant, and it is commonly consumed especially
by Indonesian residents in coastal areas. Fish is especially popular in the eastern Indonesian
regions of Sulawesi and Maluku, where most of the people work as fishermen. Both areas have
a vast sea which brings them many different kinds of seafood. Popular seafood in Indonesian
cuisine among others; skipjack tuna, tuna, mackerel, pomfret, wahoo, milkfish, trevally,
rabbitfish, garoupa, redsnapper, anchovy, swordfish, shark, stingray, squid or cuttlefish, shrimp,
crab, blue crab, and mussel. Seafood is commonly consumed across Indonesia, but it is
especially popular in Maluku islands and Minahasa (North Sulawesi) cuisine. Seafood are usually
being grilled, boiled or fried. Ikan bakar is a popular grilled fish dish that can be found
throughout Indonesia. However another method of cooking like stir fried in spices or in soup is
also possible. Salted fish is preserved seafood through cured in salt, it is also can be found in
Indonesian market.
Fresh water fisheries can be found in inland regions or in areas with large rivers or
lakes. Fresh water fishes are popular in Sundanese cuisine of West Java, caught or raised
in Lake Toba in Batak lands of North Sumatra, or taken from large rivers in Malay lands of Riau,
Jambi and South Sumatra, or large rivers in Kalimantan. Popular fresh water fish among
others; carp, gourami, catfish, pangasius, snakehead, trichogaster, climbing gourami, Nile
tilapia, and Mozambique tilapia.
Insects
Unlike Thailand, in Indonesia insect is not a popular food ingredient nor widely available
as street food. In Java, locals do catch, breed and sell certain species of insects, usually sold
fresh or alive as pet bird feed. Nevertheless, traditionally several cultures in Indonesia are
known to consume insects, especially grasshopper, cricket, termite, also the larvae of sago
palm weevil and bee. In Java and Kalimantan, grasshoppers and crickets are usually lightly
battered and deep fried in palm oil as crispy kripik snack. Smaller grashoppers, crickets and
termites might be made as rempeyek batter cracker which resembles insect fossil. During
monsoon rainy season, flying termites are abundant being attracted to light bulbs to mate.
Locals usually put a bucket of water under the lamp to trap the flying termites, pluck the wings,
and roast the termites as additional protein-rich snack. In Banyuwangi, East Java, there is a
specialty dish called botok tawon (honeybee botok), which is beehives that contains bee larvae,
being seasoned in shredded coconut and spices, wrapped inside banana leaf package and
steamed. Dayak tribes of Kalimantan, also Moluccans and Papuan tribes in Eastern Indonesia,
are known to consumes ulat sagu (lit. sagoo caterpillar) or larvae of sago palm weevil. This
protein-rich larvae is considered as a delicacy in Papua, and often being roasted prior of
consumption. However, locals may also commonly eat the larvae raw or alive.
Spices and Other Flavourings

"Rempah" is the Indonesian word for spice, while "bumbu" is the Indonesian word for a
spice mixture or seasoning, and it commonly appears in the names of certain spice mixtures,
sauces and seasoning pastes. Known throughout the world as the "Spice Islands", the
Indonesian islands of Maluku contributed to the introduction of its native spices to world
cuisine. Spices such as nutmeg or mace, clove, pandan leaves, keluwak and galangal are native

to Indonesia. It is likely that black pepper, turmeric, lemongrass, shalot, cinnamon, candlenut,
coriander and tamarind were introduced from India, while ginger, scallions and garlic were
introduced from China. Those spices from mainland Asia were introduced early, in ancient
times, thus they became integral ingredients in Indonesian cuisine.
In ancient times, the kingdom of Sunda and the later sultanate of Banten were well
known as the world's major producers of black pepper. The maritime empires of Srivijaya
and Majapahit also benefited from the lucrative spice trade between the spice islands with
China and India. Later the Dutch East India Company controlled the spice trade between
Indonesia and the world.
Sambal
The Indonesian fondness for hot and spicy food was enriched when the Spanish
introduced chili pepper from the New World to the region in the 16th century. After that hot
and spicy sambals have become an important part of Indonesian cuisine.
Indonesia has perhaps the richest variants of sambals. In the Indonesian archipelago,
there are as many as 300 varieties of sambal. The intensity ranges from mild to very hot.
Sambal evolved into many variants across Indonesia, ones of the most popular is sambal
terasi (sambal belacan) and sambal mangga muda (unripe mango sambal). Sambal terasi is a
combination of chilies, sharp fermented shrimp paste ( terasi), tangy lime juice, sugar and salt
all pounded up with mortar and pestle. Dabu-dabu is North Sulawesi style of sambal with
chopped fresh tomato, chili, and lime juice.
Sambal, especially sambal ulek, or sambal terasi can also become a base ingredient for
many dishes, such as sambal raja (a dish from Kutai), terong balado, dendeng balado, ayam
bumbu rujak, sambal goreng ati, among other things.
Sauces and Seasonings

Soy sauce is also an important flavourings in Indonesian cuisine. Kecap asin (salty or
common soy sauce) was adopted from Chinese cuisine, however Indonesian developed their
own kecap manis (sweet soy sauce) with generous addition of palm sugar into soy sauce.
Sweet soy sauce is an important marinade for barbecued meat and fish, such as satay and
grilled fishes. Sweet soy sauce is also an important ingredient for semur, Indonesian stew.
Peanut sauce
One of the main characteristics of Indonesian cuisine is the wide application
of peanuts in many Indonesian signature dishes, such as satay, gado-gado, karedok, ketoprak,
and pecel. All of these dishes applied ample of bumbu kacang (peanut sauce) for
flavouring. Gado-gado and Satay for example have been considered as Indonesian national
dishes.
Introduced from Mexico by Portuguese and Spanish merchants in the 16th century,
peanuts assumed a place within Indonesian cuisine as a key ingredient. Peanuts thrived in the
tropical environment of Southeast Asia, and today they can be found, roasted and chopped
finely, in many recipes. Whole, halved, or crushed peanuts are used to garnish a variety of
dishes, and used in marinades and dipping sauces such as sambal kacang (a mixture of ground
chilies and fried peanuts) for otak-otak or ketan. Peanut oil, extracted from peanuts, is one of
the most commonly used cooking oils in Indonesia.
Bumbu kacang or peanut sauce represents a sophisticated, earthy seasoning rather than
a sweet, gloppy sauce. It should have a delicate balance of savoury, sweet, sour, and spicy
flavours, acquired from various ingredients, such as fried peanuts, gula jawa (coconut
sugar), garlic, shallots, ginger, tamarind, lemon juice, lemongrass, salt, chilli, peppercorns,
sweet soy sauce, ground together and mixed with water to form the right consistency. The
secret to good peanut sauce is "not too thick and not too watery". Indonesian peanut sauce
tends to be less sweet than the Thai version, which is a hybrid adaptation. Gado-gado is a
popular dish particularly associated with bumbu kacang, and is eaten across Indonesia.

Coconut milk
Coconuts are abundant in tropical Indonesia, and since ancient times Indonesians
developed many and various uses for this plant. The broad use of coconut milk in dishes
throughout the archipelago is another common characteristic of Indonesian cuisine. It is used in
recipes ranging from savoury dishes – such as rendang, soto, gulai, mie koclok, sayur lodeh,
gudeg, and opor ayam – to desserts – such as es cendol and es doger. Soto is ubiquitous in
Indonesia and considered as one of Indonesia's national dishes.
The use of coconut milk is not exclusive to Indonesian cuisine. It can also be found in
Indian, Samoan, Thai, Malaysian, Filipino, and Brazilian cuisines. Nonetheless, the use of
coconut milk is quite extensive in Indonesia, especially in Minangkabau cuisine, although
in Minahasan (North Sulawesi) cuisine, coconut milk is generally absent, except in Minahasan
cakes and desserts such as klappertart.
In Indonesian cuisine, two types of coconut milk are found, thin coconut milk and thick
coconut milk. The difference depends on the water and oil content. Thin coconut milk is usually
used for soups such as sayur lodeh and soto, while the thicker variety is used for rendang and
desserts. It can be made from freshly shredded coconut meat in traditional markets, or can be
found processed in cartons at the supermarket.
After the milk has been extracted from the shredded coconut flesh to make coconut
milk, the ampas kelapa (leftover coconut flesh) can still be used in urap, seasoned and spiced
shredded coconut meat mixed together with vegetables. Leftover shredded coconut can also be
cooked, sauteed and seasoned to make serundeng, almost powdery sweet and spicy finely
shredded coconut. Kerisik paste, added to thicken rendang, is another use of coconut flesh. To
acquire a rich taste, some households insist on using freshly shredded coconut, instead of
leftover, for urap and serundeng. Serundeng can be mixed with meat in dishes such
as serundeng daging (beef serundeng) or sprinkled on top of other dishes such
as soto or ketan (sticky rice). An example of the heavy use of coconut is Burasa from Makassar,
rice wrapped in banana leaf cooked with coconut milk and sprinkled with powdered coconut
similar to serundeng.
Cooking Method
Most of the common Indonesian dishes are named according to their main ingredients
and cooking method. For example, ayam goreng is ayam (chicken) and goreng (frying), which
denotes fried chicken. Mie goreng is fried noodle, ikan bakar is grilled fish, udang rebus is
boiled shrimp, babi panggang is roasted pork and tumis kangkung is stir fried water spinach.
Cooking methods in Indonesian kitchen are goreng (frying) either in a small amount of oil
or deep frying with a lot of cooking oil, tumis (stir frying), sangrai (sautéing). Roasting methods
are bakar (grilling) usually employing charcoal, firewood, or coconut shell, panggang (baked)
usually refer to baking employing oven. Other methods are rebus (boiling)
and kukus (steaming).
The fire used in cooking can be either strong fire or small fire for slow cooking.
Cooking nasi goreng usually employs strong fire, while authentic rendang for example requires
small fire for slow cooking of beef, spices, and coconut milk until the meat is caramelised and
all the coconut milk's liquid has evaporated. Traditional Indonesian dapur (kitchen) usually
employs firewood-fuelled kitchen stove, while the contemporary household today uses liquefied
petroleum gas-fuelled stove or an electric stove. The ingredients could be cut in pieces, sliced
thinly, or ground into a paste. Cooking utensils are wajan (wok), penggorengan (frying
pan), panci (cauldron), knives, several types of spoon and fork, parutan (shredder), cobek
and ulekan (stone mortar and pestle). Traditionally Indonesians use a stone mortar and a pestle
to grind the spices and ingredients into coarse or fine pastes. Today most households use
blender or food processor for the task. Traditional Indonesian cooking wares are usually made
from stone, earthenware pottery, wood, and woven bamboo or a rattan container or filter,
while contemporary cookingwares, plates and containers use metals – iron, tin, stainless steel,
aluminium, ceramics, plastics, and also glass.
National dishes

Initially during the early years of Indonesian independence, the ubiquitous and
extremely popular nasi goreng was considered as the national dish of the republic, albeit at that
time was unofficial. Its simplicity and versatility has contributed to its popularity and made it as
a staple among Indonesian households—colloquially considered as the most "democratic" dish
since the absence of an exact and rigid recipe has allowed people to do anything they want
with it. Nasi goreng that is commonly consumed daily in Indonesian households was considered
as the quintessential dish that represent an Indonesian family. It is in the menu, introduced,
offered and served in Indonesian Theatre Restaurant within the Indonesian pavilion at the 1964
New York World's Fair. Howard Palfrey Jones, the US ambassador to Indonesia during the last
years of Sukarno's reign in mid 1960s, in his memoir "Indonesia: The Possible Dream", said that
he like nasi goreng. He described his fondness for nasi goreng cooked by Hartini, one of
Sukarno's wives, and praise it as the most delicious nasi goreng he ever tasted. Nevertheless,
other widely popular Indonesian dish, such as satay, soto and gado-gado are also considered as
the strong contenders.
In 2014, the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy in an effort to
promote Indonesian cuisine, has chosen tumpeng as an official Indonesian national dish.
Technically tumpeng refer to the rice cone in the center, while the surrounding various dishes
might be taken from any choice of various Indonesian dishes—thus was considered ideal as a
national dish that binds the diversity of Indonesia's various culinary traditions. Subsequently
however, the designation of tumpeng as the single national dish of Indonesia was considered
insufficient to describe the diversity of Indonesian culinary traditions. Later in 2018, the same
ministry has chosen another additional 5 national dish of Indonesia; they are soto, satay, nasi
goreng, rendang and gado-gado.
Satay and soto are notable and the natural choice to be promoted as Indonesian
national dish, since they had transcends the cultural boundaries of myriad ethnic groups of
Indonesia—those dishes has been extremely localised and has branched into various recipes
nationwide. For example, there are rich variants of satay and soto recipes throughout
Indonesia; from Sumatra to Eastern Indonesia. Each cultures, ethnics, or even cities had
adopted these dishes, and thus developed their own version in accordance to their own culture,
tradition, creativity, localized taste and preference, also the availability of local ingredients.
Regional Dishes
Jakarta
Diverse and eclectic, Betawi cuisine of Jakarta draw culinary influences from Chinese, Malay,
Sundanese, to Arab, Indian and European. Popular Betawi dishes include nasi uduk (coconut
rice), sayur asem (sweet and sour vegetable soup), asinan (salad of pickled vegetables), gado-
gado, (boiled or blanched vegetables salad in peanut sauce), ketoprak, (vegetables, tofu, rice
vermicelli and rice cake in peanut sauce), and kerak telor (spiced coconut omelette). Born from
a creole or hybrid phenomena, the Betawi cuisine is quite similar to the Peranakan cuisine.
West Java
A textural speciality of Sunda (West Java) is karedok, a fresh salad made with long
beans, bean sprouts, and cucumber with a spicy peanut sauce. Lalab fresh vegetables served
with spicy sambal dipping sauce is ubiquitous in Sundanese households and eating
establishments. Other Sundanese dishes include mie kocok which is a beef and egg noodle
soup, and Soto Bandung, a beef and vegetable soup with daikon and lemon grass. A hawker
favourite is kupat tahu (pressed rice, bean sprouts, and tofu with soy and peanut sauce).
Colenak (roasted fermented cassava tapai with sweet coconut sauce) and ulen (roasted brick of
sticky rice with peanut sauce) are dishes usually eaten warm.
Central Java
The food of Central Java is renowned for its sweetness, and the dish of gudeg,
a curry made from jackfruit, is a particularly sweet. The city of Yogyakarta is renowned for
its ayam goreng (fried chicken) and klepon (green rice-flour balls with palm sugar filling).
Surakarta's (Solo) specialities include Nasi liwet (rice with coconut milk, unripe papaya, garlic,
and shallots, served with chicken or egg) and serabi (coconut milk pancakes topped with
chocolate, banana or jackfruit). Other Central Javanese specialities pecel (peanut sauce with

spinach and bean sprouts), lotek (peanut sauce with vegetable and pressed rice), and opor
ayam (braised chicken in coconut sauce).
East Java
The food of East Java is similar to that of Central Java. East Java foods tend to be less
sweet and spicier compare to the Central Javan ones. Fish and fish/seafood products are quite
extensively, e.g. terasi (dried shrimp paste) and petis udang (shrimp paste). Some of the more
popular foods are lontong kupang (tiny clams soup with rice cakes), lontong balap (bean
sprouts and tofu with rice cakes), sate klopo (coconut beef satay), semanggi surabaya
(marsilea leaves with spicy sweet potato sauce), pecel lele (deep fried catfish served with rice
and sambal), rawon (dark beef soup). Food from Malang includes bakwan Malang (meatball
soup with won ton and noodles) and arem-arem (pressed rice, tempe, sprouts, soy sauce,
coconut, and peanuts).
Madura
Madura is an island on the northeastern coast of Java and is administered as part of the
East Java province. Like the East Java foods which use petis udang, Madura foods add petis
ikan which is made from fish instead of shrimp. The Madura style satay is probably the most
popular satay variants in Indonesia. Some of its popular dishes are sate ayam Madura (chicken
satay with peanut sauce), soto Madura (beef soup). There is also a mutton variant of Madura
satay, sate kambing Madura. Sup Kambing mutton soup is also popular in Madura. As a
leading salt production center in Indonesian archipelago, Madura dishes are often saltier
compared to other East Javanese foods.
Bali
Balinese cuisine dishes include lawar (chopped coconut, garlic, chilli, with pork and
chicken meat and blood). Bebek betutu is duck stuffed with spices, wrapped in banana leaves
and coconut husks cooked in a pit of embers. Balinese sate, known as sate lilit, is made from
spiced mince pressed onto skewers which are often made from lemon grass sticks. Babi
guling is a spit-roasted pig stuffed with chilli, turmeric, garlic, and ginger. Basa gede or basa
rajang is a spice paste that is a basic ingredient in many Balinese dishes.
Aceh
Arab, Persian, and Indian traders influenced food in Aceh although flavours have
changed a lot their original forms. Amongst these are curry dishes known as kare or gulai,
which are rich, coconut-based dishes traditionally made with beef, goat, fish or poultry, but are
now also made with tofu, vegetables, and jackfruit. The popular Aceh food such as roti
cane, mie aceh and nasi gurih.
North Sumatra
Batak people use either pork or even dog to make saksang. Another Batak pork
speciality is babi panggang in which the meat is boiled in vinegar and pig blood before being
roasted. Another batak dish, ayam namargota, is chicken cooked in spices and blood. Another
notable Batak dish is arsik, the carp fish cooked with spices and herbs. Lada rimba is
strong pepper used by Bataks.
West Sumatra
Buffaloes are a symbol of West Sumatra and are used in rendang, a rich and spicy
buffalo meat or beef dish, which is also the signature dish of Minangkabau culture. Padang
food comes from West Sumatra, and they have perhaps the richest variants of gulai, a type of
curried meat, offal, fish or vegetables. Padang favourite includes asam padeh (sour and spicy
fish stew), sate Padang (Padang satay), soto Padang (Padang soto) and katupek sayua
(ketupat rice dumpling in vegetable soup). Dishes from the region include nasi kapau from
Bukittinggi, which is similar to Padang food but uses more vegetables. Ampiang dadiah
(buffalo yogurt with palm sugar syrup, coconut flesh and rice) and bubur kampiun (Mung
bean porridge with banana and rice yogurt) are other West Sumatran specialties.
Traditionally, Minangkabau people adheres to merantau (migrating) culture, and they
are avid restaurant entrepreneurs. As a result, Padang food restaurant chains can be found
throughout Indonesia and neighbouring countries, likely making it the most popular regional
dish in Indonesia. In outside West Sumatra such as in Java, most of Padang Restaurants still

use buffalo to make rendang, but claim as Rendang Sapi for selling purposes due to buffalo
meat is more inferior and cheaper than cow meat. Buffalo meat is harder, so suitable for
rendang with cooking time at least 3 hours, the texture is also coarse and the color is more red
than cow meat even when is already cooked.
East Sumatra
The cuisine of east coast of Sumatra is referring to the culinary tradition of ethnic
Malays of Indonesian Sumatran provinces facing Malacca strait; which includes Riau, Riau
Islands, Jambi provinces and coastal North Sumatra in Melayu Deli areas in and around Medan.
Because of close ethnic kinship and proximity to Malaysian Malays, many dishes are shared
between the two countries. For example nasi lemak, the national dish of Malaysia, and also nasi
ulam are considered as native dishes in Riau and Jambi. Malay cuisine also shares many
similarities with neighboring Minangkabau cuisine of West Sumatra, South Sumatra, and
also Aceh; such as sharing gulai, asam pedas, pindang, kari, lemang and rendang. This is due
to the fact that the Minangkabau are culturally closely related to the Malays. Tempoyak
fermented durian sauce and sambal belacan are the familiar condiments in both Sumatra and
Malay Peninsula. Variants of peranakan cuisine such as laksa spicy noodle and otak-otak are
also can be found in Riau Islands and Medan. Seafood dishes are popular in archipelagic Riau
Islands province, while fresh water fishes from Sumatran rivers, such as patin, catfish, carp and
gourami are popular in Riau and Jambi. Gulai ikan patin is a signature dish of Pekanbaru, while
gulai ketam (crab gulai) and nasi goreng teri Medan (Medan anchovy fried rice) are the
signature dishes of Medan.
South Sumatra
The city of Palembang is the culinary centre of South Sumatra and is renowned for
its pempek, a deep fried fish and sago dumpling that is also known as empek-empek. Pempek
is served in distinctive kuah cuko, a sweet, sour and spicy sauce made from palm sugar, chili,
tamarind and vinegar. Pempek derivatives dishes are tekwan soup of pempek dumpling,
mushroom, vegetables, and shrimp, lenggang or pempek slices in omelette. Mie celor is a
noodle dish with egg in coconut milk and dried shrimp, it is a Palembang speciality.
The cuisine of Palembang demonstrate various influences, from native Palembang Malay
taste to Chinese and Javanese influences. Pempek is said to be the influence of Chinese fish
cake akin to surimi, while the preference of mild sweetness is said to be of Javanese influence.
South Sumatra is home to pindang, a sweet, sour and spicy fish soup made from soy sauce
and tamarind. Pindang dishes usually uses either fresh water fishes and seafood as ingredients.
Ikan brengkes is fish in a spicy durian-based sauce. Tempoyak is a sauce of shrimp paste, lime
juice, chilli and fermented durian, and sambal buah is a chili sauce made from fruit.
North Sulawesi
Manado cuisine of Minahasan people from North Sulawesi features the heavy use of
meat such as pork, fowl, and seafood. "Woku" is a type of seafood dish with generous use of
spices, often making up half the dish. The ingredients include lemongrass, lime leaves, chili
peppers, spring onion, shallots, either sautéed with meat or wrapped around fish and grilled
covered in banana leaves. Other ingredients such as turmeric and ginger are often added to
create a version of woku. Other Minahasan signature dishes are tinutuan,
chicken tuturuga, rica-rica and cakalang fufu.
Foreign colonial influence played a role in shaping Minahasan cuisine. Several cakes and
pastries explicitly show Dutch, Portuguese and/or Spanish influences such as klappertaart and
panada. Brenebon (from Dutch "bruin" (brown) and "boon" (bean)) is a pork shank bean stew
spiced with nutmeg and clove. Minahasan roast pork similar to lechon in the Philippines or pig
roast in Hawaii are served in special occasions, especially weddings. Other unusual and exotic
meats such as dog, bat, and forest rat are regularly served in North Sulawesi region. Paniki is
the bat dish of Minahasa.
South Sulawesi
Makassar is one the culinary centres in Indonesia. Home of some Bugis and Makassar
delicacies such as Coto, Konro, Pallubasa and Mie Kering. All of these Makassar foods are
usually consumed with burasa, a coconut milk rice dumpling wrapped in a banana leaf, to
replace steamed rice or ketupat. As a big fish market centre, Makassar is also famous for

its seafood. Various ikan bakar or grilled fish are popular and commonly served in Makassar
restaurants, warung and foodstalls, such as ikan bolu bakar (grilled milkfish). Sop Saudara
saudara from Pangkep and Kapurung from Palopo are also famous dishes of South Sulawesi.
Another popular cuisine from Makassar is Ayam Goreng Sulawesi (Celebes fried chicken); the
chicken is marinated in a traditional soy sauce for up to 24 hours before being fried into a
golden colour. The dish is usually served with chicken broth, rice and special sambal (chilli
sauce).
In addition, Makassar is also home of traditional sweet snacks such as pisang epe
(pressed banana), as well as pisang ijo (green banana). Pisang Epe is a flat-grilled banana
which is pressed, grilled, and covered with palm sugar sauce and sometimes eaten with durian.
Many street vendors sell pisang epe, especially around the area of Losari beach. Pisang ijo is a
banana covered with green colored flours, coconut milk, and syrup. Pisang ijo is sometimes
served iced, and often sold and consumed as iftar to break the fast during Ramadhan.
Nusa Tenggara
With a drier climate in Nusa Tenggara archipelago, there is less rice and more sago,
corn, cassava, and taro compared to central and western Indonesia. Fishes are popularly
consumed, including sepat (Trichogaster), which is shredded fish in coconut and young-mango
sauce. Lombok's sasak people enjoy spicy food such as ayam taliwang which is roasted chicken
served with peanut, tomato chilli and lime dip. Pelecing is a spicy sauce used in many dishes
made with chilli, shrimp paste, and tomato. A local shrimp paste called lengkare is used on the
island of Lombok. Sares is made from chilli, coconut juice and banana palm pith and is
sometimes mixed with meat. Non meat dishes include kelor (hot soup with vegetables),
serebuk (vegetables mixed with coconut), and timun urap (cucumber with coconut, onion and
garlic).
In East Nusa Tenggara, majority of its inhabitants are Catholics, hence pork is
commonly consumed. Popular Timor dishes are Se'i smoked meat (usually pork), and katemak
vegetable soup.
Maluku and Papua
The Maluku Islands' cuisine is rich with seafood, while the native Papuan food usually
consists of roasted boar with tubers such as sweet potato. Various types of ikan bakar (grilled
fish) or seafood are eaten with spicy colo-colo condiment. The staple food of Maluku and Papua
is sago, either as a pancake or sago congee called papeda, usually eaten with yellow soup
made from tuna, red snapper or other fishes spiced with turmeric, lime, and other spices.
Foreign influences
Indian influences
Indian influence can be observed in Indonesia as early as the 4th century. Following the
spread of Islam to Indonesia, Muslim Indian as well as Arab influences made their way into
Indonesian cuisine. Examples include Indian martabak and kari (curry) that influenced
Sumatran cuisines of Aceh, Minangkabau, and Malay; in addition to Betawi and coastal
Javanese cuisine. Some of Aceh and Minangkabau dishes such as roti cane, nasi biryani, nasi
kebuli, and gulai kambing can trace its origin to Indian influences.
Chinese influences
Chinese immigration to Indonesia started in the 7th century, and accelerated during
Dutch colonial times, thus creating the fusion of Chinese cuisine with indigenous Indonesian
style. Similar Chinese-native fusion cuisine phenomena is also observable in neighbouring
Malaysia and Singapore as peranakan cuisine. Some popular Indonesian dishes trace its origin
to Chinese influences such as; bakmi, bakso, soto mie, soto, bakpau, nasi goreng, mie
goreng, tahu goreng, siomay, pempek, lumpia, nasi tim, cap cai, fu yung hai and swikee.
Some of this Chinese-influenced dishes has been so well-integrated into Indonesian mainstream
cuisine that many Indonesian today might not recognize their Chinese-origin and considered
them as their own.
Dutch influences
The Dutch arrived in Indonesia in the 16th century in search of spices. When the Dutch
East India Company (VOC) went bankrupt in 1800, Indonesia became a treasured colony of the

Netherlands. Through colonialism, Europeans introduced bread, cheese, barbecued steak and
pancake. Bread, butter and margarine, sandwiches filled with ham, cheese or fruit jam,
poffertjes, pannekoek and Dutch cheeses are commonly consumed by colonial Dutch and
Indos during the colonial era. Some of native upperclass ningrat (nobles) and educated native
were exposed to European cuisine; This cuisine was held in high esteem as the cuisine of the
upper class of Dutch East Indies society. This led to adoption and fusion of European cuisine
into Indonesian cuisine. Some dishes created during the colonial era were influenced by Dutch
cuisine, including roti bakar (grilled bread), roti buaya, selat solo (solo salad), macaroni
schotel (macaroni casserole), pastel tutup (Shepherd's pie), bistik jawa (Javanese beef
steak), semur (from Dutch smoor), erten (pea soup), brenebon (kidney bean soup) and sop
buntut.
Many pastries, cakes and cookies such as kue bolu (tart), lapis legit (spekkoek),
spiku (lapis Surabaya) and kaasstengels (cheese sticks) come from Dutch influence. Some
recipes were invented as Dutch Indies fusion cuisine, using native ingredients but employing
European pastry techniques. These include pandan cake and klappertaart (coconut tart). Kue
cubit, commonly sold as a snack at schools and marketplaces, are believed to be derived
from poffertjes.
Influence Abroad
Conversely, Indonesian cuisine also had influenced the Dutch through their shared
colonial heritage. Indonesian cuisine also influencing neighbouring countries through
Indonesians migration across the straits to Malaysia.
Malaysia
Because of their proximity, historic migrations and close cultural kinship, Indonesian
cuisine also has influenced neighbouring cooking traditions; most notably Malaysian cuisine.
Indonesian influence is pervasive in the central state of Negeri Sembilan, which was settled
largely by Minangkabau people hailing from West Sumatra and is, thus, reflected in their
culture, history and cuisine. Minangkabau cuisine influences is profound in Malay cooking
tradition, as the result both traditions share same dishes; including rendang, gulai, asam pedas
and tempoyak. Rendang is a typical example that has been well-integrated into mainstream
Malaysian cuisine and is now considered as their own, and popular especially during Hari Raya
Aidil Fitri. In the early 20th century, there are large influx of Sumatrans to Kuala Lumpur and
other parts of Malaysia heartland, that led to the popularity of Nasi Padang (originated
from Padang city, West Sumatra) not only in Malaysia, but also in Singapore).
The Malay cuisine of southernmost state of Johor, reflects the influences of Javanese
who settled there for over past two centuries. Popular Javanese-origin dishes in Johor includes
ayam penyet, nasi ambeng, telur pindang, sayur lodeh, mee rebus and pechal.
Thailand
To a lesser extent, Indonesian cuisine also had influenced Thai cuisine — probably
through Malaysian intermediary — such as the introduction of satay, from Java to Sumatra,
Malay Peninsula, and reached Thailand. Achat, is a Thai pickles which believed to be derived
from Indonesian acar. It is made with cucumber, red chilies, red onions or shallots, vinegar,
sugar and salt. It is served as a side dish with the Thai version of satay.
Netherlands
During the colonial period, the Dutch embraced Indonesian cuisine both at home and
abroad. The Indonesian cuisine had influenced colonial Dutch and Indo people that brought
Indonesian dishes back to the Netherlands due to repatriation following the independence of
Indonesia.
C. Countess van Limburg Stirum writes in her book "The Art of Dutch Cooking"
(1962): There exist countless Indonesian dishes, some of which take hours to prepare; but a
few easy ones have become so popular that they can be regarded as "national dishes" . She
then provides recipes for nasi goreng (fried rice), pisang goreng (battered, deep fried
bananas), lumpia goreng (fried spring rolls), bami (fried noodles), satay (grilled skewered
meat), satay sauce (peanut sauce), and sambal oelek (chilli paste).

Dutch-Indonesian fusion dishes also exist, of which the most well-known is the rijsttafel
("rice table"), which is an elaborate meal consisting of many (up to several dozens) small dishes
(hence filling "an entire table"). While popular in the Netherlands, Rijsttafel is now rare in
Indonesia itself. Today, there are many Indonesian restaurants in the Netherlands, especially in
large cities like Amsterdam, Den Haag, Utrecht and Rotterdam.
Meal Times
Indonesians might consumes snacks or varieties of small dishes throughout the day.
However, if separate scheduled larger meal is observed, they usually consists of sarapan or
makan pagi (breakfast), makan siang (lunch) is often the main meal of the day, followed
by makan malam (dinner). Mealtime is typically a casual and solitary affair, and might be
observed differently across region.
In western and central Indonesia, the main meal is usually cooked in the late
morning, and consumed around midday. In many families there is no set meal time when all
members are expected to attend. For this reason, most of the dishes are made so that they can
remain edible even if left on the table at room temperature for many hours. The same dishes
are then re-heated for the final meal in the evening. Most meals are built around a cone-shaped
pile of long-grain, highly polished rice. A meal may include a soup, salad (or more commonly
vegetables sautéed with garlic), and another main dish. Whatever the meal, it is accompanied
by at least one, and often several, relishes called sambals. Especially for Javanese family, on
the table, it is also common to always have chips, that can be kerupuk, rempeyek, or any other
chips to accompany the meal.
In eastern Indonesia, such as on the islands of Papua and Timor, where the climate is
often much drier, the meals can be centred around other sources of carbohydrates such as
sago or root vegetables and starchy tubers. Being east of the Wallace line, the biogeographic
realm, and hence the flora and fauna, are quite different from those of the islands to the west,
and so the food stuffs are as well.
Feasts
Tumpeng
Many Indonesian traditional customs and ceremonies incorporate food and feast, one of
the best examples is tumpeng. Originally from Java, tumpeng is a cone shaped mound of rice
surrounded by an assortment of other dishes, officially chosen as Indonesian national dish in
2014. Traditionally featured in slametan ceremonies, the cone of rice is made by using bamboo
leaves woven into a cone-shaped container. The rice itself can be plain white steamed rice,
uduk (rice cooked with coconut milk), or yellow rice (rice coloured with kunyit, i.e., turmeric).
After it is shaped, the rice cone is surrounded by assorted dishes, such as urap vegetables, fried
chicken, semur (beef in sweet soy sauce), teri kacang (little dried fish fried with peanuts), fried
prawns, telur pindang (marblised boiled eggs), shredded omelette, tempe orek (sweet, dry
fried tempeh), perkedel kentang (mashed potato fritters), perkedel jagung (corn fritters),
sambal goreng ati (liver in chilli sauce), and many other dishes. Nasi tumpeng probably comes
from an ancient Indonesian tradition that revers mountains as the abode of the ancestors and
the gods. Rice cone is meant to symbolise the holy mountain. The feast served as some kind of
thanksgiving for the abundance of harvest or any other blessings. Because of its festivities and
celebratory value, even now tumpeng is sometimes used as an Indonesian counterpart
to birthday cake.
Nasi Padang
Having Nasi Padang in festive hidang (serve) style provides opportunity to sample wide
array of Padang food in a single setting. Nasi Padang (Padang-style rice) is the steamed
rice served with various choices of pre-cooked dishes originated from Padang city, West
Sumatra. It is a miniature banquet of meats, fish, vegetables, and spicy sambals eaten with
plain white rice. It is the Minangkabau's great contribution to Indonesian cuisine.
After the customers are seated, they do not have to order. The waiter with stacked
plates upon their hands will immediately serves the dishes directly to the table. The table will
quickly be set with dozens of small dishes filled with richly flavoured foods such as
beef rendang, various gulais, curried fish, stewed greens, chili eggplant, curried beef liver, tripe,

intestines, or foot tendons, fried beef lung, fried chicken, and of course, sambal. A dozen of
dishes is a normal number, it could reach 14 dishes or more. Nasi Padang is an at-your-table,
by-the-plate buffet. Customers take — and pay for — only what they have consumed from this
array.
Rijsttafel
Another Indonesian feast, the Rijsttafel (from Dutch, meaning 'rice table'), demonstrates
both colonial opulence and the diversity of Indonesian cuisine at the same time. The classic
style rijsttafel involved serving of up to 40 different dishes by 40 male waiters, bare foot but
dressed in formal white uniforms with blangkon (traditional Javanese caps) on their heads
and batik cloth around their waists. In contemporary Indonesian cuisine, it has been adapted
into a western style prasmanan buffet.
Prasmanan
When attending the reception of an Indonesian traditional wedding party, office lunch-
time meeting, a seminar or dinner gathering, one usually will find themselves queuing to
Indonesian prasmanan; a long table filled with wide array of Indonesian dishes. A prasmanan is
quite similar with rijsttafel but minus the ceremonial waiters and usually served fewer choices of
dishes compared to its flamboyant colonial predecessor. It is an Indonesian buffet as it employs
a long table with a wide range of dishes, both savoury and sweet, served on it. It can usually
be found in wedding ceremonies or any other festivities. The layout for an Indonesian wedding
ceremony buffet is usually: plates, eating utensils (spoon and fork), and paper napkins placed
on one end, followed by rice (plain or fried), a series of Indonesian (and sometimes
international) dishes, sambal and krupuk (shrimp crackers), and ending with glasses of water
on the other end of the table.
Beverages
Non-alcoholic beverages
The most common and popular Indonesian drinks and beverages are teh (tea) and kopi
(coffee). Indonesian households commonly serve teh manis (sweet tea) or kopi tubruk (coffee
mixed with sugar and hot water and poured straight in the glass without separating out the
coffee residue) to guests. Since the colonial era of Netherlands East Indies, plantations,
especially in Java, were major producers of coffee, tea and sugar. Since then hot and sweet
coffee and tea beverages have been enjoyed by Indonesians. Jasmine tea is the most popular
tea variety drunk in Indonesia, however recent health awareness promotions have made green
tea a popular choice. Usually coffee and tea are served hot, but cold iced sweet tea is also
frequently drunk. Kopi luwak is Indonesian exotic and expensive coffee beverage made from
the beans of coffee berries which have been eaten by the Asian palm civet (Paradoxurus
hermaphroditus) and other related civets. Teh botol, bottled sweet jasmine tea, is now quite
popular and locally competes favourably with international bottled soda beverages such as
Coca-Cola and Fanta. Kopi susu (coffee with sweetened condensed milk) is an Indonesian
version of Café au lait. Es kelapa muda or young coconut ice is fresh drink which is made from
chilled young coconut water, coconut flesh and syrup. It is among favourite beverage in
Indonesia.
Fruit juices (jus) are very popular. Varieties include orange (jus jeruk), guava (jus
jambu), mango (jus mangga), soursop (jus sirsak) and avocado (jus alpokat), the last of these
being commonly served with condensed milk and chocolate syrup as a dessert-like treat. Durian
can be made into ice cream called es durian.
Many popular drinks are based on ice (es) and can also be classified as desserts. Typical
examples include young coconut (es kelapa muda), grass jelly (es cincau), cendol (es
cendol or es dawet), avocado, jackfruit and coconut with shreded ice and condensed milk (es
teler), mixed ice (es campur), kidney beans (es kacang merah), musk melon (es blewah), and
seaweed (es rumput laut).
Hot sweet beverages can also be found, such as bajigur and bandrek which are
particularly popular in West Java. Both are coconut milk or coconut sugar ( gula jawa) based hot
drinks, mixed with other spices. Sekoteng, a ginger based hot drink which includes peanuts,
diced bread, and pacar cina, can be found in Jakarta and West Java. Wedang jahe (hot ginger

drink) and wedang ronde (a hot drink with sweet potato balls) are particularly popular in
Yogyakarta, Central Java, and East Java.
Alcoholic Beverages
As a Muslim-majority country, Indonesian Muslims share Islamic dietary laws that
prohibit alcoholic beverages. However, since ancient times, local alcoholic beverages were
developed in the archipelago. According to a Chinese source, people of ancient Java drank wine
made from palm sap called tuak (palm wine). Today tuak continues to be popular in the Batak
region, North Sumatra. A traditional Batak bar serving tuak is called lapo tuak. In Solo, Central
Java, ciu (a local adaptation of Chinese wine) is known. Bottled brem bali (Balinese rice wine) is
popular in Bali. In Nusa Tenggara and Maluku Islands the people also drink palm wine, locally
known as sopi. In the Minahasa region of North Sulawesi, the people drink a highly alcoholic
drink called Cap Tikus. Indonesians developed local brands of beer, such as Bintang Beer and
Anker Beer.
Eating Establishment
In Indonesia, dishes are served from a fine dining restaurant in five-star hotel, a
simple restaurant downtown, humble street side warung under the tent, to street hawker
peddling their gerobak (cart) or pikulan (carrying using rod).
Restaurant and Warung

In Indonesia rumah makan means restaurant, while warung means small and humble
shop. From these eating establishments, a warteg (warung Tegal) and rumah makan
Padang are particularly notable for their ubiquitousness in Indonesian cities and towns.
A warteg or warung tegal is a more specific warung nasi, established by Javanese
people from the town Tegal in Central Java. They sells favourite Javanese dishes and rice, the
wide array of pre-cooked dishes are arranged in glass windowed cupboard. They are well
known on selling modestly-priced meals, popular among working class such as low-skilled
labours in the cities. While rumah makan Padang is a Padang restaurant, a smaller scale
Padang eateries might be called warung Padang.
Most of Indonesian restaurants are based upon specific regional cuisine tradition. For
example, rumah makan Padang are definitely Minangkabau cusisine. Sundanese saung
restaurant or colloquically called as kuring restaurants are selling Sundanese dishes. This
includes Bataks' lapo, Manado and Balinese restaurants. While other restaurants might
specifically featuring their best specific dishes, for example Ayam goreng Mbok
Berek, Bakmi Gajah Mada, Satay Senayan, Rawon Setan Surabaya, Pempek Pak Raden, etc.
Street food
Indonesian street food are usually cheap, offer a great variety of food of different
tastes, and can be found on every corner of the city. Street and street-side vendors are
common, in addition to hawkers peddling their goods on bicycles or carts. These carts are
known as pedagang kaki lima. These food hawkers on carts or bicycles might be travelling on
streets, approaching potential buyers through residential areas whilst announcing their
presence, or stationing themselves on a packed and busy street side, setting simple seating
under a small tent and waiting for customers. Many of these have their own distinctive call,
tune, or noise to announce their presence. For example, bakso sellers will hit the side of a soup
bowl using a spoon, whereas nasi goreng sellers announce themselves by hitting their wok.
In most cities, it is common to see Chinese dishes such as bakpao (steamed buns with
sweet and savoury fillings), bakmie (noodles), and bakso (meatballs) sold by street vendors and
restaurants, often adapted to become Indonesian-Chinese cuisine. One common adaptation is
that pork is rarely used since the majority of Indonesians are Muslims. Other popular
Indonesian street food and snacks are siomay and batagor (abbreviated from Bakso Tahu
Goreng), pempek (deep fried fish cake), bubur ayam (chicken congee), bubur kacang
hijau (mung beans porridge), satay, nasi goreng (English: fried rice), soto mie (soto
noodle), mie ayam (chicken noodle) and mie goreng (fried noodle), taoge goreng (mung bean

sprouts and noodle salad), asinan (preserved vegetables or fruits salad), laksa, kerak
telor (spicy omelette), gorengan (Indonesian assorted fritters) and Bakwan (fried dish of
beansprouts and batter).
Indonesian street snacks include iced and sweet beverages, such as es cendol or es
dawet, es teler, es cincau, es doger, es campur, es potong, and es puter. Indonesian cakes and
cookies are often called jajanan pasar (market munchies).
Snacks
Kue
Indonesia has a rich collection of snacks called kue (cakes and pastry), both savoury
and sweet. Traditional kue usually made from rice flour, coconut milk, coconut sugar and
mostly steamed or fried instead of baked. Traditional kue are popularly known as kue
basah ("wet kue") that has moisty and soft texture because of rich coconut milk. The kue
kering (dried kue) is local name for cookies.
Indonesia has rich variations of kue, both native-origin or foreign-influenced. Popular
ones include

 Bika Ambon  lontong
 kue pisang  tahu isi
 kue cubit  getuk
 klepon  risoles
 onde-onde  pastel
 nagasari  lumpia
 kue pandan  bakpia
 lupis  lapis legit
 lemang  soes
 lemper  poffertjes
 bolu kukus.
Traditional Crackers
Traditional crackers are called krupuk, made from bits of shrimp, fish, vegetables or
nuts, which are usually consumed as a crunchy snack or to accompany main meals. These
crispy snacks sometimes are added upon the main meal to provide crunchy texture; several
Indonesian dishes such as gado-gado, karedok, ketoprak, lontong sayur, nasi uduk, asinan and
bubur ayam are known to require specific type of krupuk as toppings. There are wide variations
of krupuk available across Indonesia. The most popular ones would be krupuk udang (prawn
crackers) and krupuk kampung or krupuk putih (cassava crackers).
Other popular types include:
 krupuk kulit (dried buffalo-skin crackers)
 emping melinjo (gnetum gnemon crackers)
 kripik (chips or crisps)
 kripik pisang (banana chips)
 keripik singkong (Cassava chips)
 rempeyek, is a flour-based cracker with brittle of peanuts, anchovies or shrimp bound by
crispy flour cracker
 rengginang or intip (Javanese) is rice cracker made from sun-dried and deep fried leftover
rice
Fruits
Indonesian markets abound with many types of tropical fruit. These are an important
part of the Indonesian diet, either eaten freshly, or made into juices (such as jus alpukat),
desserts (such as es buah and es teler), processed in savoury and spicy dishes like rujak, fried
like pisang goreng (fried banana), cooked into cakes (such as kue pisang or bika ambon),
sweetened and preserved such as sale pisang and manisan buah, or processed into kripik
(crispy chips) as snacks like jackfruit or banana chips.

Fruit rujak, consists of slices of unripe mango, jambu air, kedondong, jicama, papaya
and pineapple. These fruits are served with thick and spicy coconut sugar and spicy salt.
Many of these tropical fruits such as:
 Indigenous Fruits of Indonesian Archipelago
1. mangga (mango)
2. manggis (mangosteen)
3. rambutan
4. cempedak
5. nangka (jackfruit)
6. durian
7. jambu air
8. duku (langsat)
9. jeruk bali (pomelo)
10. belimbing (carambola)
11. kedondong
12. pisang (banana)
 Klengkeng (longan) were introduced from India

 Semangka (watermelon) from Africa
 Kesemek from China,
Alpukat (avocado), sawo, markisa (passionfruit), sirsak (soursop), nanas (pineapple), jamb
u biji (guava) and pepaya (papaya) from America
Many of these tropical fruits are seasonally available, according to each species flowering and
fruiting seasons. While certain fruits such as banana, watermelon, pineapple and papaya are
available all year round.
Today, Indonesian markets is also enrich-en with selections of home-grown non-tropical
fruits that is not native to Indonesia. Strawberry, melon, apple, pear and dragonfruit are
introduced and grown in cooler Indonesian highlands such as Malang in mountainous East
Java, Puncak and Lembang near Bandung, to mimic their native subtropics habitat.
In the last few years, fruit chips have been more and more various. In the old times,
banana and jackfruit chips were the most common, but now Indonesian fruit chips are also
made from strawberry, apple, dragonfruit, pepino, watermelon, melon, more. Malang, a city in
East Java, is the centre of fruit chip production aside from tempeh chips.
Banana and coconut are particularly important, not only to Indonesian cuisine, but also
in other uses, such as timber, bedding, roofing, oil, plates and packaging. Banana
leaf and janur (young coconut leaf) are particularly important for packaging and cooking
process, employed to make pepes, lontong and ketupat.
Popular Dish
 Sambal – combination of chilies, sharp fermented shrimp paste, tangy lime juice, sugar
and salt
 Satay – meat skewers cook up over coals
 Bakso – savory meatball noodle soup
 Soto – simple, clear soup flavored with chicken, goat or
beef
 Nasi goreng – fried rice
 Gado-gado – vegetable salad bathed in peanut sauce.
 Nasi uduk – rice cooked in coconut milk and includes a
pinwheel of various meat and vegetable
 Nasi padang

 Ayam goreng – Indonesian fried chicken
 Bakmie goreng – noodles
 Gudeg – sweet jackfruit stew
 Rawon – beef stew from East Java
 Pecel lele – fried catfish
 Opor ayam – braised chicken in coconut milk
 Gulai – curry dishes
 Bubur ayam – savory porridge served with soy sauce,
fried shallots, shredded chicken, beans and crackers
 Bakpao – fluffy meat-filled buns
 Asinan sayur – pickled vegetable salad
 Cah kangkung – water spinach.

South East Asian Cuisine - Vietnam and Indonesia

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South East Asian Cuisine - Vietnam and Indonesia

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ASIAN CUISINE

Spices (ngũ vị) Sour Bitter Sweet Spicy Salty

Organs (ngũ Small Large Urinary

Nutrients (ngũ Carbohydrates Fat Protein Minerals Water

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Typical Vietnamese Family Meal

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Customs, Serving and Consumption

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Meat and Fish

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Spices and Other Flavourings

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Sauces and Seasonings

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Restaurant and Warung

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 Klengkeng (longan) were introduced from India

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