Pecel is mentioned in the Kakawin Ramayana written in the 9th

century of the Ancient Mataram or Hindu Mataram era. At that time it

was under King Rakai Watukura Dyah Balitung (898–930 AD).Pecel is
also written in the Siman Inscription from Kediri written in 943 AD.
Where in the inscription it is mentioned food made from boiled leaf
vegetables and specially processed with spices.

Pecel disebutkan dalam Kakawin Ramayana yang

ditulis pada abad ke-9 zaman Mataram Kuno atau
Mataram Hindu. Saat itu berada di bawah
pemerintahan Raja Rakai Watukura Dyah Balitung
(898–930 M). Pecel juga tertulis dalam Prasasti Siman
dari Kediri yang ditulis pada tahun 943 M. Dimana
dalam prasasti tersebut disebutkan makanan yang
terbuat dari sayuran daun yang direbus dan diolah
secara khusus dengan rempah-rempah.

Pecel (Indonesian pronunciation: [pət͡ ʃəl], Javanese:ꦥꦼꦕꦼꦭ꧀) is a traditional Javanese salad with peanut
sauce,[1] usually eaten with carbs (steamed rice, lontong or ketupat).[2][3]
The simplicity of pecel preparation and its cheap price have contributed to its popularity throughout
Java. It has become a food that represents practicality, simplicity, and travel, since the dish is often
found along the train journey across Java.[4]
Pecel was introduced to Malaysia, where it is known as pecal,[5] by Javanese immigrants. Pecel is
also very popular in Suriname, where it was introduced by the Javanese Surinamese.

History[edit]
In Babad Tanah Jawi (circa 17th century), Ki Gede Pemanahan referred to the dish he presented to
his guest, Sunan Kalijaga as "pecel-ised boiled vegetables". In Javanese language, "pecel" used to
refer to the act of squeezing the water out of something.[6]
Sunan Kalijaga was not familiar with the dish as he came from northeastern part of Central Java,
while the dish was native to Yogyakarta.[7] This dish became one of the most popular Javanese
dishes soon after it was introduced to other regions of Java, and the word pecel took its current
meaning, "a side dish that is made of vegetables and sauce".[8]
Pecel is only one of many Javanese vegetable-based salads. It is similar to lothek, except
that lothek is usually served with fried batter or tofu and uses both raw and cooked vegetables.[9]

Ingredients[edit]
 Displaying vegetables and other ingredients on banana leaf is
a traditional way on selling pecel near Borobudur, Central Java.
Main ingredients usually consist of leafy vegetables, bean sprouts (or any other plant sprouts), long
beans, and cabbages. Some other types of vegetables can also be added. People may use
amaranth leaves, kangkung, cassava leaves, or leaves or any other local plants that are in season.
Some modern recipes will add carrots (sliced) into the mix, or replace white cabbages with the red
ones to spice up the color.
The sauce is made of roasted (or fried) peanut, asam jawa, coconut sugar, and other spices. It might
be served thick or watery, sweet or spicy, depending on the regional variation.[10] [11]
Pecel is usually eaten with rice or rice cake (lontong or kupat). It can also be eaten alone or with
fried side dishes, such as, fried tempeh, tofu, etc.; and Javanese crackers, such
as krupuk or rempeyek.[12]

Variants[edit]

Solo pecel, served in a restaurant in Solo, Central Java

The difference usually lies on the thickness level of the sauce, the taste profiles (spicy, sweet, or
savoury). In Central Java, pecel sauce is sweet-savoury with medium thickness, except in northern
coast and north-eastern regions where the sauce tends to be more spicy and the sauce is usually a
bit thinner than usual. In East Java, especially Madiun, the peanut sauce is very thin and
spicy. Lamtoro seeds are often added as a topping.
In Tegal, Central Java, pecel sauce is made of peanut and cassava root. In Surakarta's pecel ndeso,
black sesame sauce is used on top of peanut sauce.[13]
In Yogyakarta, pecel is served with bacem (sweet-simmered) tempeh or tofu. In Surakarta, a pecel
variant called lothek (alt. spelling: lotek) includes the use of some raw vegetables, lontong,
and gorengan. The name "lothek" is derived from "luthik", a wooden spatula used to scoop the
peanut sauce from a cowek (grinding bowl).[14]
Pecel tumpang is a pecel smothered with tumpang (tempeh sauce). It a delicacy of Kertosono
District in Nganjuk.[15]
Mie pecel or pecel mie, noodles with pecel sauce is common in Central Java as well as Medan. One
of them is pecel mie kenyol from Batang, the noodle made from cassava with a chewy texture.[16]

because the spices are very tempting and increase the

taste of food
because it uses a variety of healthy vegetables