Indonesia which is a developed nation in Southeast Asia consists of more than 17,000 islands with around 300 ethnic groups having distinct cultures. Thanks to this, Indonesian cuisine is very diverse with about 5,350 traditional recipes. It varies considerably in region under different influences of China, Europe and India. In addition, a sea surrounded by the islands makes a significant contribution to the tremendous variety of seafood in Indonesia. Moreover, an equatorial climate creates favorable conditions for the cultivation of rice and soybean in Indonesia. Indonesian cuisine emphasized on intense flavors from certain ingredients and spices mixture. Most Indonesian dishes are savory, hot and spicy, and also encompass basic tastes such as sweetness, salty, sourness and bitterness.
The list below would provide 10 must-try Indonesian dishes when going on your Indonesia shore excursion.
Nasi Goreng
A plate of stirred fried rice complemented with eggs, prawns (chicken, salted dried-fish, goat meat, or anything on request), chili, and vegetables
Bakso
Indonesian meat balls served in chicken broth soup, rice vermicelli or yellow noodles, sprinkled with fried shallots, celery, and of sambal (a hot sauce made from a mixture of chili peppers with other ingredients such as shrimp paste, fish sauce, garlic, ginger, lime juice, etc.)
Nasi Uduk
The rice is cooked in coconut milk in combination with other additional dishes such as omelet, fried tempeh (made from soybeans and turned into cake form) and crispy crackers made from paddy oats
Bubur Ayam
Rice porridge served with shredded chicken, cakwe (Chinese crullers), crispy fried shallots, and chopped scallion
Sate
Skewered grilled meat served with peanut sauce
Soto
An Indonesian traditional soup served in savory chicken broth, then added with shredded chicken, eggs, rice vermicelli, and crispy fried shallots
Ketoprak
Compressed rice cake, tahu, rice vermicelli and bean sprouts mixed with thick and sweet peanut sauce
Pecel
Veggies mixed with peanut sauce
Batagor
Fried (Indonesian meatball) and tofu with fish paste fillings
Ayam Goreng Kuning
The chicken pieces are marinated in turmeric mixture along with shallots, garlic, ginger, and some other spices and then they are deep fried
