Becoming Indonesian: Are You What You Eat?

Asia » Indonesia » Java » Yogyakarta
February 27th 2012

Published: February 28th 2012

"The only thing I think I like better than talking about food is eating." (Don DeLillo) It would be near impossible to condense the diversity of Indonesia's cuisine into one single blog, especially considering that I have only spent no more than four or five months in Indonesia over the course of my life. More than this, I have spent most of my time there on the main island of Java, not y... Read Full Entry

Photos are below

Photos: 42, Displayed: 21

Mango Pie!!

Tea made with fresh roselle leaves

More from Homestay Heru

My stomach loves Papaya, I love freshy young coconut

Very sweet and spicy squid at the beach

Another typical combo

This from our weekly catered lunch at Alam Bahasa language school, usually beautifully laid out and very photographic.

IFC

Indonesian Fried Chicken

Indonesian beef burger

One word.....Small

Nasi Goreng

This from on the road. Typical road fare. Oily and greasy just like American fast food.

Jejamuran

This mean mushroom restaurant. We ate at a place that only served dishes made with mushrooms. The mushroom rendang, a famous curry dish usually made with beef, was one of my favorites.

Bebek Goreng

"Goreng" means fried and "bebek" means duck. Unlike Chinese grilled duck the bbq sauce used here was more lively and zesty with plenty of heat.

The juice selection at your average Indo maret (convenience store)

Black sticky rice ice cream inside

My favorite are the mango pops with mango ice cream and sugary sweet mango candy coat on the outside.

Chocolate in Jogja

I found two factories that make chocolate in Indonesia (cacao is plentifully grown around the archipelago). One Belgian style and one local style often made with jamu. The one made with tamarind was my favorite.

Roots

I think this is ginger but I get confused between ginger, galangal and turmeric sometimes. They are all very common fresh ingredients, in Thailand as well.

In the kitchen

Typical fare

Whether its noodles or rice, there are often a few crunchy and soft thing mixed in. Here it is crispy fried wheat flour with bakso (Indonesian meatballs made from various meats) and I think tofu (or a fishcake?) mixed in with veggies and Indomie (Indonesia's Ramen noodles).

Snack Box

The school prepared little lunchboxes like this everytime we traveled somewhere. Indonesians always seems to be carrying food around with them.

Soursop snacks

This South American fruit is abundant in Indonesia. Ice cold soursop juice is amazing. These chewy snacks made with soursop (sirsak in Indonesian) were good.

Sate

The pork sate with boiled rice stuck together and then dipped into the peanut sauce is so tasty.

Seafood with gang from school

4th March 2012

Bob & Helen
non-member comment

Yes you are what your eat
Looks like a healthy diet except for the fried rice. I don't recognize any vegetables--seems fruit is primary, along with rice and seitan and other soy products. Glad to see the snake fruit with some of the snakey-looking skin off-what does it taste like? Quite a contrast to other cuisines you have reported on, and the photos really help us Americans know what it looks like as well as what's in it. So sorry to miss the pleasure of eating with you in these exotic places. Love ya---

5th April 2012

raharasi
L_Raharasi

Becoming Indonesian: Are You What You Eat?
Pecel is a tasty and healthy food. :)

Tot: 0.048s; Tpl: 0.012s; cc: 8; qc: 19; dbt: 0.0283s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1; ; mem: 1mb

Do not copy images or text from this page without requesting and receiving permission. All rights are reserved by the author and photographer.

Contact Zachary Buttel (ZJB) - a lack of a response does not mean that you have permission to use material from this page.

Becoming Indonesian: Are You What You Eat?

Copyright Notice: All Rights Reserved