Thailand is currently swept up in a new food craze for seblak, a street snack from Bandung, Indonesia. Who would have thought that a simple dish of crackers could capture the attention of Bangkok’s foodies and leave social media users hooked, all thanks to one TikTok video?
Here are five fascinating facts behind seblak’s sudden rise as the hottest food trend in the Land of Smiles.
It All Started with One TikTok Video
Seblak’s viral journey in Thailand began on September 4, when Bangkok-based influencer Chanisara Wongdeeprasith, known on TikTok as @TheChanisara, uploaded a 1-minute-37-second video. In it, Oon is seen enjoying seblak with visible delight before exclaiming “Aroi!”, which means “delicious!” in Thai.
That single clip was enough to spark a frenzy. As of October 6, the video has garnered over 4 million views, instantly turning seblak into “the spicy Indonesian food you have to try.”
The Domino Effect: Everyone Wants Seblak
After the video went viral, Thai TikTokers rushed to jump on the trend. Some cleared supermarket shelves of Indonesian instant seblak, while others experimented with homemade versions—often pushing the spice level to the extreme.
It didn’t take long before Thai TikTok was flooded with funny and dramatic reactions from first-timers braving the fiery dish. Soon, it became a full-blown food trend: the spicier the seblak, the more views the video racked up.
From TikTok to Bangkok’s Restaurants
What started online quickly spilled into real life. Restaurants and food stalls across Bangkok began adding seblak to their menus.
Long queues outside seblak vendors are now a common sight. Customers aren’t just chasing the heat, they’re driven by curiosity about this Indonesian viral snack. In true Bangkok fashion, the city’s ever-adaptive culinary scene has embraced the trend, and now, Bangkok is “feeling the heat” alongside Bandung.
The Flavor Secret That Hooks You
So what sets seblak apart from other spicy dishes? The secret lies in kencur, an Indonesian aromatic root that gives the broth its sharp yet refreshing kick.
Seblak is made from raw crackers boiled until chewy, then stir-cooked in a thick, spicy broth of chili, garlic, and kencur. Add noodles, eggs, sausage, or seafood, and you get a flavor-texture explosion that’s savory, chewy, fiery, and aromatic all at once.
From Street Snack to Global Viral
Although it only went viral recently, seblak has a long history in Bandung, West Java. It dates back to the early 1900s, when it was simply crackers doused in hot water and lightly seasoned.
The name “seblak” comes from the Sundanese word segak, meaning “pungent,” a nod to its strong kencur aroma. Over the decades, Bandung locals added more ingredients, turning it into an iconic dish that showcases Indonesian culinary creativity.
Today, seblak has leveled up from street food to a cultural ambassador, proving that Indonesian snacks can go global, one viral TikTok at a time.
