Have you ever heard about Indonesian traditional desserts? If you ever visit this archipelago, you will find some of them different types from different tribes. Most of them come from their traditional food that has a delicious taste.
Most Indonesian traditional desserts nowadays can be found in some traditional markets in Indonesia that are categorized as traditional Indonesian snacks. Some of them can be hardly found since it becomes part of the local food that you can only find them there.
If you are wondering what kind of Indonesian traditional desserts and where to find them, here we have some of them on the list below. Let’s check them out!
1. Es Teller
Es Teller is one of the most popular Indonesian traditional desserts that has a delicious taste. It is a kind of mixed fruit such as avocado, jackfruit, and coconut that is poured by a block of ice crushed with condensate milk and syrup.
Es Teller has originally come from the Javanese tribe as one of the Indonesian dessert drinks, which you can find in most local restaurants. Some restaurants even have this kind of menu which belief already had menu since around 1960.
Es Teller is a popular type of dessert drink that is perfect to consume after having lunch. The sweet taste that combines with an iced crushed will melt your feeling and breeze your mind during the day.
2. Kue Lapis
Kue Lapis is one of the most popular Indonesian traditional desserts that has a sweet taste. It is a kind of rice cake that forms beautifully layer by layer with a different colors. It has a soft and bouncy texture yet is a bit sticky to chew.
Kue Lapis can commonly be found in most traditional markets in Indonesia. In Yogyakarta, you can find this kind of traditional dessert in most Jajanan Pasar sellers in the morning.
3. Kolak
Kolak is one of the most popular Indonesian traditional desserts that you shouldn’t miss trying. It is a kind of soup that is cooked properly using palm sugar and coconut milk which commonly uses bananas, pumpkin, or cassava as the main ingredients.
Kolak commonly can be found during Ramadhan season as the most popular food to break the fasting before they’ve got some Indonesian traditional snacks of Eid Fitri. The smell of Pandan leaves inside can be the most mouth-watering smell for it that you should try.
4. Es Pisang Ijo
Es Pisang Ijo is one of the most popular Indonesian traditional desserts that are worth trying. It is a kind of porridge local food in Makassar with a banana topping that is wrapped properly using a green rice flour cake.
Es Pisang Ijo comes originally from the Bugis tribe from Makassar in South Sulawesi. Nowadays, you can find this kind of dessert in most Indonesian regions, which is commonly available in most Indonesian street food or local restaurants.
5. Kue Keladi
Kue Keladi is one of the most popular Indonesian traditional desserts that are so popular in the Indonesian-Chinese tribe. It comes from the local food in North Sumatra, which is commonly categorized as the Cantonese traditional dessert in Medan.
Kue Keladi is made with a mixture of taro and rice flour. Just like a typical Indonesian traditional dessert, it has a sweet taste and is a bit savory inside. It has a sticky and chewy texture that looks similar to Kue Lapis.
Kue Keladi is a bit difficult to find in some Indonesian regions outside Medan. That is because taro is a kind of main ingredient that can be difficult to find in other regions.
6. Kue Delapan Jam
Kue Delapan Jam is one of the most popular Indonesian traditional desserts that come from the Palembang tribe in South Sumatra. It is a kind of cake that steamed properly within 8 hours of the making process.
Kue Delapan Jam has a sweet and soft texture which becomes one of the traditional desserts in Palembang. This kind of dessert used to only serve to the royal family but nowadays everyone is allowed to consume it.
Kue Delapan Jam commonly can be found in Palembang only. Locals commonly choose this kind of dessert for religious ceremonials, weddings, or other occasional events.
7. Amparan Tatak
Amparan Tatak is one of the most popular Indonesian traditional desserts that has a sweet taste. It comes from Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan as one of the most iconic desserts in the city.
Amparan Tatak is made from a combination of rice flour, coconut milk, and the Medan sweet bananas. It steamed properly within an hour so that it has a solid texture which can be easier to cut into slices.
Amparan Tatak commonly can be found in most of the Banjarmasin regions. It can be hard to find outside there since few restaurants offer a Banjar tribe menu outside the island.
8. Wadai Sarimuka
Wadai Sarimuka is one of the most popular Indonesian traditional desserts that come from the Banjar tribe in South Kalimantan. It is a kind of sticky rice that is cooked properly using coconut milk, Pandan leaves, and the fruit of Srikaya.
Wadai Sarimuka is one of the desserts that should exist in most wedding ceremonies for the Banjar tribe. That is why this kind of dessert is so popular around Borneo Island.
As one of the most iconic Indonesian traditional desserts in South Kalimantan, it’s not surprising that commonly it becomes culinary tourism that is worth visiting there. Some tourists even happily make it as souvenirs for family, friends, or colleagues.
So, there are some of the most popular Indonesian traditional desserts from some tribes in Indonesia. You can find them in most of the local restaurants while visiting the country.
Have you ever tried them all? Which one that becomes your favorite so far?
