Christmas eve becomes the most important moment once a year. That is why people are usually very excited about welcoming this precious moment. They will do anything to make the moment special, including the food.
Speaking of which, food always becomes the most important thing in some occasional event in Indonesia. Just like other celebration days, Indonesian always has its unique tradition of celebrating Christmas eve with their traditional food.
Traditional Christmas food in Indonesia comes differently from one region to the other one. Since Indonesia consist of so many islands and tribes, that makes the food also comes differently.
This time we will bring you to take a look at the delicious Indonesian traditional Christmas food from some regions. Let’s see some of them below!
1. Roast Pork
In most of North Sumatra’s region, roast pork becomes the most important traditional food on Christmas as the Indonesian famous main dish. Specifically, they will roast a slice of specific roast pork from the Karo tribe which has strong seasoning inside it.
Usually, people cook pork with some lemongrass, onions, and sweet soy sauce. The taste is so delicious that makes everyone so happy to consume this Indonesian traditional Christmas food.
2. Fish with Arsik Seasoning
In North Sumatra, there also a fish with Arsik Seasoning as the other dishes besides the roast pork. This traditional Christmas food has a specific fish with unique spices from the local regions. It has a delicious taste with the dressing sauce that comes from the coconut milk.
Commonly, people cook fish with Arsik seasoning for celebrating some important moments such as Christmas. They will use some special spices such as the Asam Patikala, Kecombrang flower, and Lokio.
3. Lapet Cake
Lapet cake is a traditional Christmas food that comes from Tapanuli, North Sumatra. It is made from rice flour with grated coconut and mixes properly with the Aren of coconut sugar. The taste is amazing mixes between the sweet inside and a bit salty outside.
Usually, people will wrap the Lapet cake with the banana leaves and steamed it in one place with a bigger size of the pan. They love to consume it for an afternoon snack or even when the coffee break time in the morning.
4. Selat Solo
Selat Solo is one of Indonesian traditional Christmas food that comes from Solo, Central Java that popular such as the Gudeg is a popular food in Yogyakarta. This food mixes from some ingredients between the vegetables and meat in one plate that makes the taste so solid and nutritious.
Selat Solo consists of beef, carrots, bean, lettuces, potatoes wedges, and special seasoning sauce from Solo. It mixes from the sweet taste and you can add some spicy things to melt with the sweetness taste.
5. Pork Roll
Pork roll becomes the most important menu for Christmas in Bali as the popular traditional food in Bali Indonesia. This Indonesian traditional Christmas food becomes a big sign of celebrating Christmas there. You may find it easy to get pork rolls daily in Bali, but for Christmas eve it cooked differently.
Balinese usually cooked the pork roll by bake it over the fire with the choice of a baby pig. Then the stomach of it is filled with some vegetables with specific Balinese spices that have a delicious taste. That is why people love the way the pork roll exist to enjoy with their family on Christmas.
6. Ikan Kuah Kuning
Ikan Kuah Kuning is a fish that is cooked properly with coconut milk that has a yellow Sauce. This Indonesian traditional Christmas food exists in Manado from time to time. Commonly Ambonese will consume it with their specific Indonesian staple food such as the Papeda.
Usually, Ambonese chooses the Tuna or Muba fish for the main dish on the Ikan Kuah Kuning. They will be using turmeric so that the sauce will come in yellow color. They also add some lime so that the taste will a bit sour and spicy from the chilies.
7. Ikan Woku Belanga
Ikan Woku Belanga is one of the Indonesian traditional Christmas food that comes from Manado that becomes one of the most popular foods in Indonesia. It is made from the fresh fish, usually, the grouper that cooked in the Woku way on the biggest Manado’s pan that calls as the Belanga.
Ikan Woku Belanga is similar to the Ikan Kuah Kuning from Ambon, but it has a bit creamy. It has a good smell from the specific spices from the Manado’s spice that mixes properly with the basil, Pandan leaves, and lime leaves.
8. Chicken Budu
Chicken Budu is one of the Indonesian traditional Christmas food that comes from Makassar. It is made from fresh chicken that people call the Ayam Kampung for the main dish. It cooked perfectly with the fresh chicken soup that would be perfect to consume with the hot rice.
People in Makassar believe that consuming Chicken Budu is the way they enjoying Christmas without a Turkey cock. That is why this food becomes so special while consuming on Christmas eve with their family.
9. Bagea
Bagea is one of the Indonesian traditional Christmas food that comes from East Nusa Tenggara. It is a cookie that similar to the gingerbread cookies that you can find only on Christmas eve there.
Bagea has a soft and crisp texture with a ginger taste inside. Both children and adults love these cookies so much as the sign of Christmas that coming among them. it made from the specific Cintang nut that mixes perfectly with some cloves, wheat flour, vegetable oil, and cinnamon.
So, there are some glances of the delicious Indonesian traditional Christmas food in some regions in Indonesia. Have you ever tried one of them?
