About

About of Food Of Indonesia Recipe

Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelago—thousands of tropical islands ranging from some of the world’s largest to mere tiny coral atolls marooned in a sapphire sea. With snow-capped mountains and lush rainforests, arid savannahs and irrigated rice fields, it’s hard to imagine a more appropriate national motto for this nation than Bhinneka Tunggal Ika—Unity in Diversity. Over the past two thousand years, powerful Buddhist, Hindu and Muslim kingdoms rose and fell in Sumatra, Java and Borneo, attracting merchants from as far away as China, the Middle East and India, as well as nearby Siam and Malacca. Some of the archipelago’s tiny eastern isles were the original Spice Islands—the only places in the world where clove and nutmeg trees grew, and a powerful magnet for traders and pirates. European explorers and merchants were not far behind. Portuguese, Spanish, English and Dutch ships set forth on voyages of discovery to these islands during the 16th and 17th centuries. The Dutch were the final victors in the battle for control over the region, introducing a plantation system to the main islands, where laborers toiled to produce sugar, spices, rubber, tea and coffee (the original “cup of Java”). A nationalist movement arose as early as 1908, but it was not until 1949 that the Republic of Indonesia came into being, after an armed struggle against the Dutch following Indonesia’s declaration of independence in 1945. With its enormous geographic and cultural diversity, it is not surprising that the food of Indonesia is tremendously varied also. However, as restaurants in Indonesia tend to focus on the dishes served only in Java and Sumatra, many non-Indonesians are unaware that each region actually has its own distinct cuisine. These indigenous regional styles have been influenced to varying degrees over the centuries by ingredients and cooking styles from China, India, Europe and other parts of Asia. A “typical” Indonesian meal might be described as a simple mound of rice accompanied by several savory side dishes of vegetable, fish or perhaps a meat or poultry dish, with a chili-hot condiment or sambal on the side and peanuts, crispy wafers (krupuk) and fried shallots sprinkled on top to provide a crunchy contrast. While such a description might be valid for much of Java, Sumatra and Bali, in other areas of the archipelago, the staple might be sago, cassava, yams or corn instead of rice. Increasing numbers of visitors are discovering the rich cultural diversity of Indonesia, venturing off the beaten BaliJava-Sumatra tourist track. Let us take you on a voyage of culinary discovery, exploring the unknown and revealing more about the already familiar.