20 of my Favorite Recipes for Traditional Indonesian Food (2024)

FAQs

What is Indonesia's traditional food? ›

Considered Indonesia's national dish, nasi goreng is a fried rice with sweet, thick soy sauce and acar, pickled cucumber and carrots. One of Indonesia's favorite comfort foods, soto is a traditional meat soup comprises of ingredients that vary across the country. Most underrated part of great satay? The stick.

Padang in Sumatra is Indonesia's most celebrated culinary region. The famed rendang is a Padang creation. This regional concept is infamous for its fiery hot chili infused gulai (curry). There are many unique facets to Padang food, not least how it is served.

The main difference between Indonesian and other cuisines is the use of specific spices and ingredients like lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime, and a variety of chilies. These are used in popular dishes like Nasi Goreng (fried rice), Satay (skewered and grilled meat), and Rendang (spicy meat dish).

Some key points of Indonesian etiquette include: Hierarchical relationships are respected, emphasised and maintained, Respect is usually shown to those with status, power, position, and age. Elders must be respected by doing a salim or gently touching the head of people elder to you.

Most of the Indonesian traditional breakfast is based on rice, with various condiments and other dishes. Although with modernization people tend to have 'instant' breakfast menu, there are still many people who love their traditional breakfast menu.

Leading limited-service restaurants Indonesia 2022, by number of outlets. In 2022, KFC had the most number of stores among fast food restaurants in Indonesia. There were 831 KFC restaurants nationwide that year. Meanwhile, Pizza Hut came in second place, with 562 outlets across the country.

Soto is a traditional Indonesian soup mainly composed of broth, meat and vegetables. Soto is considered Indonesia's national dish as it served in a wide range of variations.

Although a lot of Indonesian food is fried, the country does have dishes that are great for those on a diet or for people who are under the weather with various soups playing a leading role.

Is Indonesian food nice? ›

When it comes to culinary delights, few cuisines can rival the mouthwatering treasures of Indonesian food. Bursting with flavors, infused with aromatic spices, and shaped by a rich cultural heritage, Indonesian cuisine is a true culinary adventure.

Indonesian meals are commonly eaten with the combination of a spoon in the right hand and fork in the left hand, although in many parts of the country, such as in Java, it is common to eat with one's hands.

Rendang is most often described as meat slow-cooked in coconut milk and spices until it becomes tender. If cooked properly, dry rendang can last for as long as four weeks. Prior to refrigeration technology, this style of cooking enabled preservation of the large amount of meat.

Fish sauce is partly responsible for giving Thai food that distinctive flavour, which Indonesian food doesn't have. On the other hand, roasted shrimp paste (terasi) tends to be more common in Indonesian cooking. Although shallots are common to both cuisines, they are used very differently.