Indonesian food, hmm… many people will always think about Nasi Goreng (fried rice) or Rendang, no wonder people abroad knew these foods because back in 2011 and 2017, according to CNN Poll Nasi Goreng and Rendang were the most delicious food in the world. But Indonesia is a very diverse country with various culture. Therefore, Indonesia has many kinds of foods. These are Indonesian dishes you may never taste before.
- PAPEDA
Papeda is a dish from Maluku and Papua which has white color and sticky texture like a glue, this food usually served along with Tuna or Tongkol fish and seasoned by turmeric. What makes this special is the way we eat this food because you need a pair of chopsticks or sticks and roll it.... it's the art of eating!
- GANGAN SOUP
Gangan is a fish soup from Belitung with a combination taste of sour and spicy. What makes this dish special is the soft texture of the fish and the color of the soup, it’s yellow. Gangan cooked with onions, red chili, lemongrass, and candlenut. Sometimes in Gangan, people put pieces of pineapple to give sour sensation. If you visit to Belitung island, make sure you eat this signature dish of Belitung.
- MIE ONGKLOK
Mie Ongklok or Ongklok noodle is a noodle with boiled noodles cooked with vegetables and special seasoning called “loh”. This food is a traditional food from Wonosobo. In the cold weather of Wonosobo, Mie Ongklok is your best companion to warm your body
- MANTAU BREAD
Roti Mantau or Mantau Bread from Balikpapan is a bread creation from Tionghoa’s adaptation in Indonesia. This bread made from wheat flour and has soft texture. There are two kind of Mantau, the fried Mantau and steamed Mantau. You can eat fried Mantau with chili sauce or tomato sauce, it so delicious!
- TAHU GEJROT
Indonesia, land of tofu, you can find tofu everywhere if you visit Indonesia. In Cirebon West Java, you can find Tahu Gejrot, a dish with small cuts of tofu served with sauce. The sauce cooked with onions, chili and sugar. The combination of tofu and the sauce is an absolute deliciousness, especially when rainy days.
- SNAIL CURRY
Snail Curry (gulai siput) can be found in Riau Island, just like its name, rice field’s snail become the main dish cooked with Melayu’s herbs. In Melayu language Rokan dialect this food is called Lengkitang while Kuantan Singingi Dialect this food is called as Cipuik. Rice field’s snail is actually considered as pest, but cooking this kind of snail can help farmer reduce the pest and the taste is quite delicious.
These dishes are only a glimpse of how heavenly Indonesian food is. So when you visit Indonesia make sure you explore Indonesian food!
