Indonesia is a country with so many island that lived by so many people from various tribes. Each tribe has their own tradition and culture which they’re inheriting from their ancestors. They keep doing rituals, appreciating their Majesty and nature, making and using traditional clothes, and also cooking deliciously peculiar meals of their own.
Supported by Indonesia’s natural resources, range of tasty and unique food in this country is getting wider. A lot of spices, which rarely found anywhere else, grown easily in this land. Then each tribe, each region, even each city makes use of it to produce their own signature meals. Seasonings make the taste be more flavor full.
Read more: Traditional Meal in Bali – Indonesian Vegetarian Food – Eating Customs in Indonesia
Typical meal in Indonesia is also becoming a magnet to local and international tourists to come here and try themselves. Besides lovely sceneries and friendly people you’ll guaranteed to meet, here are several name of food you shouldn’t miss to try when you’re planning to visit Indonesia :
1. Nasi Goreng (Fried Rice)
This be one of Obama’s (US former president) several Indonesian favorite meal. This is basically a white rice being cooked by adding some more spices to it. Usually people will add som toppings such as meatballs, fried eggs, pickles, and fish crackers to make it more delicious.
There are so many type of fried rice in Indonesia we couldn’t mention one by one. And it also being served in various places to eat from 5 stars restaurant to side of the road tent restaurant.
No wonder it is listed as 50 Most Delicious Meal in the World by CNN online voting. Read more about street food in Jakarta.
2. Nasi Padang (Padang Rice)
Padang rice is actually Padang signature meal that now becoming one of Indonesian favorite meal because of its richness in tastes.
The cooker is using a lot type of spices to help them cooking padang side dish.
We can choose what type of side dish we want to eat such as fried cow lungs, pop chicken, gravel, or else with sambel ijo, yellow sauce, and urap cassava as an addition to it.
3. Tempe
Tempe is very famous amongst International tourist, even some other country would sell this type of food with pretty high prices because their people love tempe that much and it’s a rare thing in there.
Here in Indonesia tempe is pretty cheap and could be found anywhere easily.
Made out of fermented soy beans, Indonesian people could turn it out into various meals such as Original Fried Tempe, Mendoan Tempe, Tempe Stir-fry with Soy Sauce, and more.
4. Rendang
Rendang is still listed as the second meal from Indonesia as 50 Most Delicious Meal in the World by CNN online voting, voted by around 35.000 people.
You should try this spicy meat dish made originally by the ethnic group of Minangkabau, West Sumatera. Best enjoyed with warm glutinous rice. There are eight types of Rendang. Such as cow meat rendang, chicken rendang, goat meat rendang, cow lung and liver rendang, duck meat rendang, shell rendang, egg rendang, and Maco fish rendang.
5. Gudeg
Gudeg is a meal made out of unripe jackfruit mixed with palm sugar and coconut milk, originally made in Yogyakarta. Meanwhile, the history of gudeg in Yogyakarta begins with the construction of Islamic Mataram kingdom. Then it was 1550AD.
In addition, gudeg is also noted in Javanese literary called Serat Centhini.
On the other hand, in Yogya, they sell a very luscious gudeg and several gudeng brand that already famous are Gudeg Yu Djum, Gudeg Permata Bu Pujo, and Gudeg Bu Amad. Make sure to check this typical meal in Indonesia out!
6. Gado-gado
This meal is suitable especially for vegan people who likes to eat only vegetables. Because Gado-gado is using vegetables as its basic food material. The veggies are served fresh, but partly some people like it soft so they boiled them for a while first.
Added with eggs, then peanut sauce are poured down to its top as a dressing and it will turn a bunch of veggies into a delicious meal to eat.
7. Sate (Satay)
Satay is a grilled meal that generally using chicken, buffalo, or goat as its main ingredients. People will then using various types of dressings to spice up the taste from soy sauce, barbeque sauce, chilly sauce, sambal matah, sambal, cooked sambal, and so on.
The pieces of meat then being inserted into the stick, then being grilled up until it cooked. Best served with warm glutinous rice.
8. Soto Ayam (Chicken Soto)
Chicken Soto is soup that is made with chicken broth water and vegetables. Soto not only made with chicken as its main ingredient but can also be substituted with beef. It’s a matter of personal taste.
Furthermore, in every area in Indonesia has their own signature soto menus with a little hit of their own taste such as Maduranese Soto, Betawinese Soto, Kudus Soto, and so on.
9. Sop Buntut (Oxtail Soup)
Sop Buntut is a meal that usually served with broth sauce, or be classified as ‘soup’. This type of soup use oxtail as its main material. The oxtail has been through a pretty long process.
First, it is being grilled before its finally plunged into broth water and then boiled together with carrots, potatoes, leeks, tomatoes and fried onions with a bunch of other spices mixed well inside. People enjoy eating it with melinjo crackers. Suitable to be eaten on a rainy season or when you’re not feeling really well.
10. Fried “Indomie”
This meal is actually similar with ramen from Japan. Indomie is a boiled instant noodle from “Indomie” brand, an original brand from Indonesia.
Indomie is loved by almost everyone in this country because it tastes so yummy, especially by adding some egg, meatballs, and vegetables as toppings. We can find Indomie in almost every minimarket near us.
And because it’s instant, we just need to boil water and then boil it inside water for approximately 3 minutes then it’s ready to serve. They now offers us with choices to choose between fried or soup noodles, with so many choices of Indonesian traditional flavor. But, don’t consume it regularly because no instant food is good for your health.
Read more: Traditional Indonesian Desserts – Traditional Balinese Breakfast
After knowing several typical meals in Indonesia, what do you think? Which one would you love try as your meal first? Basically all of them contains yummy ingredients added with spices that would satisfy your hunger. And most of them are already known internationally by so many people and becoming their favorite food from this country also.
This country is full of happiness from beautiful and natural views, friendly local people, and also a taste from heaven hidden inside its traditional meals. So, what are you waiting for? Come to Indonesia and taste it yourself.
