Some Indonesian Delights

Nasi Babi Guling only for Non Muslim

Tahu Tempe bacem at kraton Yogyakarta

Nasi Campur Program center Bedulu

Nasi ikan bakar and plecing kangkung

Nasi Kucing Yogyakarta

Nasi merah putih kraton Yogyakarta

Nasi campur odalan di kampung

Beragam makanan dari Yogya

Bakso pedes

Blayag ala Singaraja

Gado-Gado Bali Bakery

Gado-Gado Yogyakarta

Makanan Korea ala Yogyakarta

Ayam bacar ala Jangar Ulam

Nasi Goreng ala Bali Bakery

Nasi Goreng ala Parsley Yogyakarta

Nasi Goreng ala America

Nasi Campur ala rumah

Nasi Jepang ala California

Nasi bubur ala kampung

Sate ala Yogyakarta

The terraces rice-field where we grow rice twice a year

The rice-field when it was just finished being planted

Satu pejangan padi

Dua pejangan untuk duwasa Dewi Sri-Rambut Sedana

Manyi pakai anggapan or ani-ani

Padi kuning siap dipanen

The staple food in most areas in Indonesia is rice, and in some areas people eat tubers, maize, sago as their staple. Rice is very important in the Indonesian life. There are four words to describe the different stages of rice; padi is the rice which is growing in the rice-field, gabah is the rice after being harvested, beras is refinery rice or husked rice and nasi is the rice which has been cooked and ready to eat. The farmers especially in Bali perform many rice rituals starting from obtaining irrigation water from the dam, planting, harvesting and storing rice in the lumbung (special rice storage) to venerate the rice, they even consider rice as the Goddess Sri, the consort of the Lord Vishnu, the god of a life-sustainer.

There are four types of rice: black, red, sticky and plain rice

Most Indonesian have rice as their meal three times a day, they have rice for breakfast, lunch and dinner. To create attractive taste of rice, there are a few variations on how to cook and to serve the rice. In the morning people consume either bubur kacang hijau (sweet porridge of soybeans) or chicken rice porridge (bubur ayam) or just with vegetables if the meat is not available. The bubur ayam is easily found in the food stalls along the street or even in some restaurants, bubur (ayam) is good for people who are sick, whereas the bubur kacang hijau vendor will travel on the wheel playing a typical music for their presence. Fried rice or nasi goreng is also a famous meal for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is usually served with shrimp crackers or chilly sauce (sambal). Nasi Goreng has been known widely in the world, every Indonesian restaurant will offer Nasi Goreng in their menu. Other than the above, there are many other kinds of Indonesian foods, which have been known world wide. Gado-gado the steam vegetables, fried tofu, tempe (fermented soy beans), hard-boiled eggs dressing with peanut sauce, gado-gado is available in the food-stalls along the streets called warungs or in restaurants. Nasi Padang for example became well-known in the world. The Padang food can be easily recognized because inside the glass display we can see many dishes being exhibited. If we enter the Padang warungs without saying anything, they will bring you all the dishes in small plates. If you take little bit of each plate they will charge you the whole thing. But if you eat only certain dishes they will charge you only for the food that you eat. As a dominantly Muslim country, pork is not easily available. Only in Bali and some other regions of eastern Indonesia whose population practice Christianity pork is available. The Chinese society also likes consuming pork as their side dish. In Bali pork is a compulsory meat for certain ritual purposes. The roasted suckling pig is a special delicacy in Bali and a compulsory meat for a three-month baby ritual or a common meat for a vow.

Rice is considered sacred in Bali, we put offering in the images of the rice goddess and god

Indonesian food is well-known in many parts of the world. It has typical flavor, smell or color. In general Indonesian food is spicy. Indonesians use many types of spices from roots (tubers), rempah-rempah (cloves, lada, corianders, nutmegs, chilly etc). Nasi Goreng, Gado-gado, satay have internationally recognized. Most Indonesian people not vegetarian, people love eating meat. Chicken is the most popular because is considered as neutral kosher meat by every religious faith. For the Hindus, especially priests beef is considered taboo because in the Hindu society cows are considered sacred as the vehicle of the God Shiva, the god of dissolver. But on the other hand, the Muslim considered pork as the taboo meat because the pigs are the grossest animals on the planet. Mutton is considered neutral meat eaten by everyone and also considered as the source of energy for the honeymooners. It causes the blood pressure higher up. Meat is expensive in Indonesia. The concept of vegetarian only recently penetrated the country, not eating meat means that they are poor and cannot afford to by meat. Therefore, those who have money will go to the westernized fast food like McDonald, Kentucky Fried Chicken to indulge themselves with meat and new status of being modern and westernized. Another popular food for the youth especially is known as Bakso, meatball dish with noodles, which can be easily found along the street vendors, or from the vendors on the wheels who sell the bakso by pushing the wheel and stop if somebody calls it by saying “Bakso”. The rural people who do not have access to the market everyday will apologize for not having meat in the meal to the guests whom they serve meal.

Besides Indonesian foods, the drink also has typical taste, colors and flavors. In addition to coffee and tea, the more traditional drink from the palm wine has different stages of maturity. The fresh from the palm is very sweet known as tuak, and after becomes sour and strong known as cuka if it has been kept for longer period. Arak and berem (both are made from fermented rice) are needed for the ritual purposes, since it contains alcohol it often offered as the offering for the chthonic spirits.

Since Indonesia a predominantly Muslim country, alcohol is not easily available except in the tourist areas (Bali, Jakarta, some towns of Jogja). There are many types of non-alcoholic drinks which are popular in Indonesia. For examples; Es Buah (mixed chopped fruits dressed with red sugar juice plus sweetened-milk), Es kelapa muda (young coconut juice) is considered a good drink before breaking the fast. In general, Indonesians like drinking sweet drink, even for their coffee or tea. Light drink like coca-cola, sprites, seven-up or any other brands are easily found in the urban areas.