This topic may make you scratch your head, or make your stomach rumbling because now, we want to discuss about Food! Its not about the actual food sadly, but about how Indonesian eat, how is their habit. If you’re Indonesian, maybe you experienced all of these habits in your daily life. But if you’re not, we want to tell you something new about Indonesian.
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So what are those habits Indonesian have? Check it below!
1. Eating Together
Indonesian people are known to socialize. They don’t like to eat alone, and prefer to wait and invite friends to make the dining atmosphere more fun. Although eating alone with rice, chili sauce and crackers, would be more exciting rather than eating rice and side dishes. However, the existence of friends made it different. Beside eating, they often tell us story about their life, which is sometimes funny. Nothing but fun.
2. Let me take a picture!
This is because the effect of social media which is widely spread, especially among teenagers. Instead of praying first, before eating they will not forget to capture food menus and upload them in social media. Also taking pictures of the environment around. Click! That’s rather annoying actually. Especially when you really want to eat as fast as possible because of your rumbling little stomach, but your friends keep photoing. Please, let me eat.
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3. Eat while lifting feet
Abroad, it is important to always pay attention to table manner every time we eat. And eating while lifting legs is obviously rude to them. But in Indonesia, it feels very comfortable if eating while lifting the feet, especially in the stall is lesehan while eating nasi padang. This is the Indonesian table manner, which is important and comfortable, right? Maybe you haven’t tried it in your life. If you firstly come to Indonesia, make sure you try this legendary method.
4. Innards
Abroad, the innards of various animals must be removed. Because for them it is something dirty and not nutritious. But uniquely, 80% of Indonesians are fond of eating it. Starting from the chickens, beefs, goats, and so forth. The innards have almost no nutritional value, and will pose a health hazard if consumed in excess. Well, this is one of Indonesia’s unique quirky habits in the eyes of the world. Although its bad, but it’s good.
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5. Tofu and Tempeh
This indispensable side dish is always at the Indonesian dining table. In addition to high nutrition, the price does not make a pocket hole is a favorite of many people. However, who thought, a side dish that is considered less special in Indonesia is a very expensive side dish in Europe.  Things you should be proud of, because in the Netherlands to enjoy a piece of tofu alone can cost 10 euros or Rp 151 thousand!. While in Indonesia, it only cost about Rp5 thousand. You choose.
6. Eat instant noodles with rice
This must be the result of not eating with rice. Although the noodles include carbohydrates, the Indonesian people always mix it with rice. Generally instant noodles are only considered as a snack while relaxing.  However, as you know, its considered very unhealthy in international eyes. But who cares, we’re Indonesian. We need thousand carbohydrates in our daily life.
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7. The food is tasteless without Hot Sauce
Somehow sambal (hot sauce) is always synonymous with the people of Indonesia. Rarely Indonesians living abroad do not seek sauce as their culinary identity. No wonder if the sambal was made with various types such as chili paste, tomato sauce, green sauce and so on. When it combines with rice. Boom! the taste will increase significantly. You must try it yourself!
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8. Less complete without crackers
The sensation of sounds from crackers plus tasty indeed becomes its own specialty as an additional side dish. No wonder Indonesian people always feel less complete if eating without crackers. Kinds of crackers are made as diverse as shrimp crackers, onion crackers, mackerel crackers and many others. The crackers like the food improvement. So if you want to eat something, better use some crackers to increase its tastiness.
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9. Have not eaten if you do not use rice
Indonesian belly is accustomed to the staple food of rice. That is why it is said to have not eaten without using rice. Despite eating pizza, dimsum, sushi or spaghetti, it still has not been said to eat if there is no rice. So don’t be surprised if you treating your Indonesian friend to eat pizza, and he suddenly ask you to eat fried rice soon after. Because, ” Pizza? I’m not full yet”.
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10. Eating with right hand
Yeah, of course we don’t use our feet to eat, right? That means, eating directly with hand, and not using spoon or fork. Indonesian people are known to eat directly with the right hand, especially for the food menu with sauce and vegetables. And definitely not recommended to eat hand-to-handed dishes such as soup soto or chicken soup. By Indonesian, it considered practice. Why? Because we don’t need to depend on anything except our very own hand to eat something.
11. Lesehan (Not using chairs)
This is a habit that can not be released when today’s dining table has emerged with a variety of unique models. Eating lesehan is considered as a form of togetherness and simplicity that is very attached to the tradition of this nation. Usually, if you eat lesehan, the dining atmosphere will be more familiar, even could be opening discussion. Because of its roots, various places to eat also provides lesehan facilities that are perfect for eating with family. Places to eat lesehan like this can be found in various cities such as Malioboro area in Yogyakarta, Blok M in Jakarta, or Punclut in Bandung.
12. 5 Minutes Rule
This habit is rather dirty, but because of love and abstinence to throw food, this culture is so rooted in our life. Food that falls off a plate or from a fryer may be picked or eaten again for “not five minutes yet” reason. Yeah if it fell on the table, but what if the food fell on the sidewalk? Once again, this is considered very unhealthy. Just to think of it, the food is directly touch the dirty floor is considered bad, even in seconds. However, who cares, we are Indonesian, this is our way (dirty way).
13. Fries / Gorengan
Kind of variety, ranging from tofu, tempeh, bakwan, cireng, cassava, risoles, fried bananas, or fried sweet potatoes. More fun if eating it with a bottle of sambal, chili peanut sauce, even eaten with raw cayenne pepper just delicious.
14. Eating raw cayenne pepper
Eating raw cayenne is a very common thing for Indonesian people, especially if the duet with fried food would be more delicious. If abroad chili pepper must be processed first before the consumption, but not in here . Its also good for your health you know. How about the nutritions? Chili is a great source of vitamins A, B, C and E. Chili also produces vitamin C seven times more than oranges and pro vitamin A more than carrots are indispensable for the body. Awesome!
15. The Best, The Last
This is one of the unique eating habits in Indonesia, the best food is spent in the last moments. Usually on the plate, they already have their own division. The most delicious and the pretty. The most delicious in the plate, will make last. The first edible feeding continues the last of the most delicious. Often, eggs like egg yolks, meat, fish, chicken skins and the like.
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16. Fried onions and Pickles
This one complementary food is usually served with rice. Fried onions have a savory sensation and delicious. If the onions taste fresh but the effect, making your mouth smelly. While the pickle is very fitting when added with a dish of noodles or fried rice. Then, serundeng more fitting again as a complement of rice, fried gurame, fried chicken or fried duck.
17. Large Portion
Like you all known, Indonesian like to eat with unbelivable large portions. So, the often eat with 2 plates or another. Even some restaurants providing dish with large portions with very affordable price. The restaurants support it. And we Indonesian, like it. So, we can keep eating until our stomachs reach its limits.
18. “Let me taste it”
Ah, this thing happens only with friends and family. If you eating with them, sometimes they say “Hmm..it looks good, here let me taste it”. And then they “eating a bit”, with our food. However, hey, don’t you mad about it. The good thing is, you can do it too! So don’t keep yourself from asking the same to your friends and family.
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19. Vegetables
Even if we like eating with large portions, eating innards, and fries we rarely caught in serous diseases. Why? Because we balanced it with vegetables! Â Yep, the green vegetables, anything that good for our body. You can found them in almost all stalls in Indonesia. They will at least provide one kind of vegetable for you. Its good.
20. Treat
The treat alone is sounds good. But turns bad if you do it forcely. Yep, your friend may “force” you to treat them to eat something nice in order of celebrating your birthday, or your anniversary with your girlfriend, and many more reasons. However, although being forced, you will very happy because you celebrate an important things with your friends around. Nothing good except friendship and family, right?
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And that’s it, the eating habits of Indonesian. So what is your favorite? Which one is more annoying than the other? Tell us in the comment. Even though it’s a bit of annoying, that’s the way of Indonesian. And we proud of it. That’s the end of it, have a good day!
