While the staple food of some of eastern Indonesia’s
islands traditionally included sweet potato, corn, sago
and cassava, today rice is the staple food for the majority
of Indonesia. A meal consists of steamed white rice
with side dishes of meat, chicken or fish and vegetables,
accompanied by a glass of tea. Some common dishes include
sate (skewered grilled meat), gado-gado (vegetables
with a peanut sauce), nasi goreng (fried rice) and bakmi
goreng (fried noodles).
Seafood is abundant in Indonesia with plenty of fresh
fish, prawns, lobsters, oysters, crab, squid and more.
It is prepared in a variety of ways and is commonly
eaten fresh, dried, smoked, grilled, salted or made
into a paste or curry. Coconuts are also readily available
and the coconut milk is a common ingredient in many
Indonesian dishes. An extensive range of tropical and
sub-tropical vegetables and fruit can be bought in Indonesia
throughout the year. Although fruits such as watermelons
and mangoes are seasonal, most of the other fruits including
apples, oranges, bananas, pineapples and papayas are
available all year round.
Every Indonesian province has its own specialty dish.
Hot chili peppers and spices are popular and are used
most generously in West Sumatra and North Sulawesi.
Java is where you’ll find food most palatable
to mainstream tastes, consisting mainly of vegetables,
soybeans, beef and chicken. West Sumatra is famous for
its Padang restaurants, providing hot and spicy food
with a unique style of service. Bali, Irian Jaya and
the highlands of North Sumatra and North Sulawesi specialise
in pork dishes. Chinese restaurants are popular in Indonesia,
as well as restaurants specialising in Continental,
Japanese and Korean cuisines.
Local beer is produced at a number of breweries in Indonesia,
and locally produced coffee and tea is also readily
available. Indonesia also produces its own wine, with
Bali famous for the rice wine ‘brem’ and
Toraja producing ‘tuak’ which is also common
in North Sumatra and other areas.
