Beside having some spectacular locations that always being favorable places for all the tourists all over the world. Indonesia also has some things that you need to know. Its specialties in culture, art, and of course tourism, can not be ignored. But there’s one other aspect that is also becoming the colorful identity of Indonesia, its cuisines.
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Each area in Indonesia has their own unique and special dish. So, starting from Sabang to Merauka, you can find thousand and thousand of foods which you can pick. You don’t need to visit each area of Indonesia though, because in some cities, especially the big ones like Jakarta, Surabaya, and Bandung, there’s some restaurants that selling the perticular food you want. Of course we can not put all of them in here, so we picked 17 of them, the 17 popular dishes in Indonesia that you can see right in the information below :
1. Bangka Noodle
In Indonesia, there’s some kinds of noodle. For example, in the area of Bangka Indonesia, there’s the special noodle called Bangka Noodle. It’s pretty famous not only the that Bangka area, but also almost all areas in the archipelago. Unlike the usual noodles, it’s made out of the yellow noodle which then combined with the special soup.
Inside the soup, we can find so many ingredients that easy to get especially in the area like Bangka. Those things are fish, squid, crab, and also shrimp. Because of the location of Bangka island that surrounded by the fish markets, those ingredients are really easy to get. In the serving, usually the Bangka noodle will be added with some stuff like sprouts.
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2. Bandeng Presto
From the noodles, we want to introduce you to one of the popular dishes in Indonesia called Bandeng Presto. Anything with presto is like the best thing ever, because usually the bones inside the meat will be much tender, they can even be swallowed easily. And this Bandeng Presto is originated from Semarang area of Central Java.
If you don’t know what Presto is, it’s like a cooking method that used for tendering the meat. And in this case with Bandeng Presto, they use more time than the others to make the bones more tender and softer so people can eat the fish meat without worrying about the bones. Usually, the dish is combined with rice and sambal, it’ll be greater that way.
3. Sop Buntut
Beside having so many kinds of noodle, Indonesia also has several kinds of soup. There are the famous ones like Sop Ayam, Sop Iga, and also this one called Sop Buntut. Like the soup that made out of cow’s meat, this Sop Buntut is also using the part of that animal. Even though the word Buntut means tail, but there’s no tail used for this soup.
Instead, the soup is mainly used the cows meat. But, the meat will be baked first to make them more tender. And then, the freshly processed meat will be combined with a very special spices to make it more good. Sop Bontot was firstly became popular back in 1973. Before that year, it’s popularity slowed down a bit.
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4. Siomay
For the backpackers or the tourists who spend their vacations in the West Java area like Bandung city and the cities around it, they will be much familiar with this particular food. Siomay is not only known in that province, but also in all provinces in this country. Beside the price to get it is really affordable, the taste is also very good.
In a plate of Siomay, you will get some stuff inside like dumplings, vegetables, and sometimes a tofu. And they all combined together with the sweet peantut sauce that made out of sugar, onion, chili, salt, and of course peanuts. Also, sometimes people also add some more stuff like sweet soy sauce or maybe ketchup. You should get one when visiting Indonesia.
5. Tempeh
The next one is maybe included as one of many important things that every family should has in Indonesia. Tempeh is mainly used as a side dish when eating rice. You can combine it with many stuff like tomato sauce, chili sauce, sweet soy sauce, mustard, or maybe mayonaise. All of them are great to combine with tempeh.
In Indonesia, the price of tempeh, a block of it, is like Rp2.000,- only. But, if you buy in in foreign countries like America, Australia, or Japan, and basically everywhere beside Indonesia, you can have from slightly to very high price. And usually, the tempeh that imported from Indonesia is always having a high price.
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6. Fish Gohu
For people who would love to eat a sea food, The Fish Gohu can be a great choice for them. Many people in Indonesia, who are included as sea food lovers are always familiar with this one. Some of them even said that Fish Gohu is like Indonesian sashimi. From the outside though, you can see that simmilarities right away.
But maybe there’s a difference in the inside. This popular food that was originated from Ternate area of eastern Indonesia used fresh tuna fish meat. And the meat then processed and added again with some additional ingredients like onion, chili, garlic, and also coconut oil. They all cooked together in a pan, and after that, Fish Gohu is done.
7. Sambal Terasi
This is not a food actually, it’s more like the additional stuff that you will eat when you’re eating a food. Basically that’s the function of Sambals in Indonesia. Indonesians known for having a strength in spicy foods. So, many of you may know that many foods in Indonesia have very spicy taste, almost burning the toungue of foreigners.
The making of this sambal is also the same like the other sambals you can find around you. But, there’s an additional thing that you should add inside it. It’s called a Terasi. This thing alone can make the taste more different and special. You can make one yourself, which is pretty easy, or just buy the Sambal terasi in the stores near you.
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8. Colo-colo Fried Fish
This Colo Colo doesn’t have any relation with a brand of soft drink, so stop thinking abut their connection right away. This food is included as one of many popular dishes in Indonesia. So, trying this food is always recommended, especially if you like sea foods very much. The fish used in the foos is mackerel tuna.
The mackerel tuna then processed with the adding some unique ingredients like green tomato, onion, chili, and also flavoring to make the special sambal for the fish. The fish should be grilled first before adding the sambal. Eating Colo colo fish is recommended with rice and also an ice tea, making it the best lunch ever.
9. Egg Noodle
Also included as a noodle type of fish, there’s one special thing called Egg Noodle. Egg Noodle or Mie Telor in Indonesia, is a noodle that putted into a hot soup. But, the soup then added with the other ingredients to make the flavor more rich. So, maybe you can add some things like shrimp meat, boiled eggs, and also steamed sprouts.
All of them then added with a very special soup that has coconut milk, a special spices, and also coconut shrimp. And for the finishing, some sellers will add different things on it. Sometimes there will be fried onions, crackers, and other things like chopped tempeh or tofu. You can also add anything that suitable for it as much as you like.
10. Rujak Cingur
The next food that we’re gonna talk about is Rujak Cingur. There’s some kinds of Rujak in Indonesia like Rujak Madura, Rujak Shanghai, Rujak Soto, Rujak Gobet, Rujak Buah, and also this Rujak Cingur. The word cingur means mouth. In this food, the mouth used in the food is the cow’s mouth. So, you can taste how good the cow’s mouth actually is.
Cingur is not served alone. But in plate of Rujak Cingur, you can find cucumbers, tofu, tempeh, lontong, bendoyo, long beans, sprout beans, and also the other vegetables. All of them then combined altogether with a very special thick sauce with a very authentic taste. The sauce is a little bit complicated to make because it requires a lot of things.
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Like the other articles before, we also prepared the special list that containing some other popular dishes in Indonesia like Buntel Satay, Nasi Uduk, and the others. Those foods are :
- Buntel Satay
- Nasi Uduk (Uduk Rice)
- Nasi Ulam
- Nasi Goreng
- Gado-gado
- Rawon
- Rendang
So that’s our article about the most popular dishes in Indonesia that known for their unique taste and specialities. Doing a culinary journey in Indonesia is also a great thing. Be sure to grab the experience on your next trip !
