Flavors

It is very varied due to its morphological nature: an archipelago of 6000 inhabited islands out of 18,000 of which it is composed. There are therefore many regional cuisines, based on indigenous cultures and foreign influences.

Throughout its history Indonesia has been involved in numerous trade exchanges due to its location and natural resources. Furthermore cooking techniques and ingredients have been influenced by India, the Middle East, China and finally Europe. Spanish and Portuguese traders brought products from the New World even before the arrival of Dutch colonization.

The Moluccas also known as the “spice islands” contributed to the introduction of native spices such as cloves and nutmeg, into Indonesian and global cuisine.

There are five main cooking methods in Indonesia: goreng (frying), fried foods are cooked with coconut oil while coconut milk is an ingredient for seasonings, bakar or panggang (grilling), tumis (stir frying), rebus (boiling) and kukus (steaming).

The fish is always fresh and together with shellfish it is a specialty served everywhere. Meats are less common but still equally consumed; obviously in Muslim areas, which are the majority, pork is not consumed while chicken meat is and beef is less so. Rice, throughout the East, is the staple food par excellence.

It is constantly accompanied by sauces and condiments, often flavored and made from meat or fish. The so-called “Nasi Goreng” is a typical traditional Indonesian dish. It is a fried rice on which an egg is placed also fried in oil. Nasi Campur on the other hand is a typical dish composed of rice cooked with vegetables and shellfish and is very aromatic thanks to the presence of numerous spices.

For those who want a fresh and complete dish a taste of the famous “Gado Gado” is a must which is a large salad that is usually accompanied by snacks of rice, shrimp and seasoned with a sauce obtained from ripe peanuts.

Peanuts are one of the most used ingredients in Indonesian cuisine and it is also possible to find them in “Sate” or in seasoned meat skewers or even immersed in an excellent and spicy peanut sauce. Indonesian cuisine is obviously made up not only of first courses or second courses but it is possible to taste various types of snacks.

Fried bananas are one of the most common snacks and it is easy to buy them even during a walk through the villages. Glazed peanuts and biscuits mixed with coconut flour are, however, a snack perhaps closer to our Western tastes but equally tasty and particular.

Whether it’s street food or a dish served at a restaurant, you can eat well while spending very little.