We all know Indonesia is one of the countries that has the most various and delicious food in the world. One of Indonesian’s traditional foods, Rendang, was placed number 1 in Best Food in CNN’s World’s 50 Best Foods back in 2011. And a lot of people couldn’t agree more! In the recent news that CNN published, Nasi Goreng and Satay was featured too. People love our traditional food and they can’t wait to try it again. It’s amazing how one article that was publish a few years back would impact our traditional food that we love so much to the world.
Obviously, Rendang, Nasi Goreng and Satay are not the only amazing food that Indonesia has to offer. There are hundreds more to explore around the world and people who love to travels need to try. Not only travelers or foreigners but Indonesian food are cheap to buy, you just need to find the right place. Because of this a lot of people go out to eat whenever they can from various food all over Indonesia, whether it’s in a fancy restaurant or a local restaurant business across the streets.
Here are some Indonesian foods that are popular:
- Gudeg
It’s a Javanese dish that originated from Yogyakarta. Its main ingredients are from sweet jackfruit, it’s also known as the sweet jackfruit stew of Yogyakarta. Gudeg is eaten with rice, as is the case with other Indonesian dishes. Sambel goreng krecek (crisp beef skins fried with chilli and peanuts), opor ayam (a type of chicken curry drenched in coconut milk), telur pindang (seasoned boiled egg), and tahu or tempe bacem are all obligatory side dishes served with Gudeg (sweet steamed tofu or soybean cake).
- Soto
It’s a traditional Javanese soup, Indonesia. This meal can be served with a variety of sides, including stewed eggs, grilled offal, fried tofu, and chili or soy sauce. Soto is a popular comfy meal in Indonesia, and it may be found in a variety of places, from small open-air eateries to high-end restaurants.
- Gado-gado
The Indonesian variant of a mixed salad is gado-gado. A combination of veggies, eggs, tempeh, and tofu are commonly included. The veggies are normally lightly cooked before being mixed with a nut sauce and topped with crunchy prawn chips.
- Pempek
Pempek, also known as empek-empek, is a fish and tapioca dish. Originated from South Sumatra, it's a Palembang specialty. Pempek is available in a wide range of forms and sizes. The most well-known is kapal selam (submarine), which has an egg in the center. Pempek is topped with shrimp powder and offered alongside cuka, a black dipping sauce composed with vinegar, chilli, and sugar.
- Sweet Martabak
Indonesian Sweet Martabak is one of the popular sweets or desserts. It's practically a pancake with an Indonesian twist. It's worth noting that Martabak is only available in the evening or nights. You can go through a variety of fillings, including chocolate, cheese, and peanuts.
No wonder that culinary is one of the biggest creative industries in Indonesia. During the pandemic hit, many local restaurants and food streets sellers struggled to open or sell food. People were staying at home, cooking their own meal and the tourists can’t visit anymore because of the restrictions.
There was no one that would go out to buy food, so sellers would wait outside without getting any profits. Many cook/sellers went back to their hometown because there was nothing they could do and restaurants closed everywhere. There was uncertainty about what will happen with the virus.
But after some time, we adjusted ourselves and we took advantage of the things we have and we can do. Because of the applications like Grab or Gojek, there are services that would send delivery food online, with this people won’t need to go out and restaurants and streets food venders can still open.