Indonesia is a string of islands situated south of Malaysia in the Indian Ocean. The predominant religion is Islam which forbids the eating of pork and the drinking of alcohol. The exception is the island of Bali which is mainly Hindu and in turn, excludes beef from the diet, although a local rice liquor called brem is drunk readily.
Spices are plentiful in Indonesia and the Indians, Dutch and Arabs traded here extensively. Thus, the cuisine uses a mixture of what we think of as “Indian” spices e.g. ginger and turmeric and flavourings common in Thai cookery such as galangal, lemon grass, lime leaves, nuts and coconut. Many dishes use chilli, garlic and shallots and some use soy sauce, thought to be a Chinese influence.
Regional specialities are myriad. In Eastern Java, kebabs on skewers have been developed from the Arab original into something local known as satay. Not to be confused with Malaysian satay, which usually has a peanut sauce, the Javanese variety has a sauce of sweet soy.
Despite being surrounded by water, the Balinese are not fond of fish, although inhabitants of the other islands do eat it.
Rendang is an example of Western Sumatra’s cuisine, being spicy and flavoured with lemon grass and coconut and is often cooked for special occasions.
A favourite of the Balinese is a whole duck or chicken, smothered in a spicy paste of chillies, turmeric and shallots and baked in banana leaves over a charcoal fire.
Salads are popular all over, often using blanched vegetables such as bean sprouts, potatoes and cabbage and a spicy hot, sweet, sour dressing.
Food is generally served at room temperature, with the exception of soup and a meal usually ends with fruit, rather than a dessert. In the absence of alcohol, tea or coffee is often drunk with a meal.
Copyright Liz Canham
As well as a love of Asian Food and Cookery and Travellers’ Tales, Liz seeks to help newcomers to the world of internet marketing with tools, tips and training from her Liz-e-Biz.com website.