Indonesia Famous Food

Indonesia located in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific Oceans is officially known as the Republic of Indonesia. Indonesian food is something that is very popular in the world because they are mainly based on fresh spices as well as herbs.

Indonesian cuisine is so rich, flavorful, and exciting to eat that it would be impossible to define it in just one definition. Its geographical location is a blessing for it has attracted many traders, pirates, and adventurers from all over the world. Moreover, Indonesia and its landmass are most known for the rich resources of spices, especially in the eastern region, and these spice-hunters soon turned into immigrants and then permanent dwellers. The top famous Indonesian cuisines and their concise description are as follows:

1. Siomay: As one may or may not already know that most Indonesian street food has peanut sauce in it. Siomay is an Indonesian dish that consists of steamed fish dumplings with vegetables served in peanut sauce. This dish which is called Siomay here is Indonesia’s version of dim sum and is cone-shaped, which is traditionally made from pork but frequently substituted with Tenggiri fish meat for many reasons. This dish contains steamed fish dumplings. The portion comes with steamed potato, cabbage, bitter gourd, boiled egg, and of course, served with peanut sauce, and soy sauce. If anyone wants to try it at the local level, the best way to enjoy Siomay is from a bicycle vendor, who carries a large steamer at the back of his bike.

2. Nasi Rawon: This is an Indonesian beef soup made of beef stew from East Java. Rawon uses Keluak nut which gives it this nutty flavor and deep, black color. It is rich in flavor. It is served with a bowl of rice. It’s yummy and hearty at the same time.

3. Nasi goreng (Fried rice): This dish is something that doesn’t need any further introduction. It is a Southeast Asian fried rice dish cooked with pieces of meat and vegetables. Indonesian Fried Rice and its reputation have taken the world by storm, which means that it is extremely successful. Everyone would agree that literally they have tried Fried Rice at some point in their life and it is the most versatile dish out there. To make this dish, one can mix rice with veggies, chicken, beef, and seafood. This is made from sweet, thick soy sauce called keycap and garnished with acar, pickled cucumber, carrots, and tomatoes, which makes it different from other fried rice variants. It is considered Indonesia’s national dish.

4. Indonesian Satay: Satay is meat skewers that are cooked over coals. These juicy skewers are served with rice cakes also called Ketupat, along with peanut sauce poured all over the Satay. As conceived by street vendors, it is a national dish of Indonesia and has been one of the most celebrated foods in Indonesia. It is practically available everywhere and is said to be highly addictive.

5. Beef Rendang: This dish originated from Padang, in West Sumatra, Indonesia. Padang food is renowned for its spiciness and richness in flavor and therefore one must definitely try Beef Rendang. It is slowly cooked and braised in coconut milk seasoned with a herb and spice mixture until the liquids evaporate and the meat turns dark brown and tender, becoming caramelized, and infused with rich flavors. It is more or less similar to Beef Curry but without the broth. One should appreciate this dish because it takes forever to cook to get that tenderness out of the beef. One must try this Padang goodness to let the world know how tasty it is.

6. Sweet Martabak: Indonesian Sweet Martabak is one of our favorite desserts found here. It is nothing but an Indonesian version of a pancake. It is only sold in the evenings. One can choose to mix fillings from chocolate, cheese, and peanuts.

7. Pempek: Pempek or empek-empek is a savory Indonesian fishcake delicacy, made of fish and tapioca. It is a Palembang (a city in Indonesia) specialty in South Sumatra, and it comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. The dish is served with rich sweet and sour sauce called Kuah Cuka or Kuah Cuko, or just “Cuko”. The most popular one is called Kapal Selam (submarine), which contains an egg in the middle. It is sprinkled with shrimp powder and served with Cuka, a dark dipping sauce that is made from vinegar, chilly, and sugar.