The Top 10 Indonesian Street Foods
They say the heart of a home is its kitchen; that the soul of a city is on its streets. In Indonesia, the street is the kitchen, where cooks keep a fire burning all day long and the food is as varied as the nation itself. Street sellers known as ‘kaki lima’ can be found everywhere, from the big cities to tumbledown villages and remote mountain passes. Warung are Indonesia’s ubiquitous and no-frills answer to café culture, located on virtually every corner and wafting out wondrous flavours into the night sky. The best way to get a flavour of a country is to taste its cooking. In this article, we give you ten of the best and most famous culinary treats. If you’re travelling to Indonesia, there are plenty of tasty treats in store. Selamat makan!
The Top 10 Indonesian Street Foods
They say the heart of a home is its kitchen; that the soul of a city is on its streets. In Indonesia, the street is the kitchen, where cooks keep a fire burning all day long and the food is as varied as the nation itself. Street sellers known as ‘kaki lima’ can be found everywhere, from the big cities to tumbledown villages and remote mountain passes. Warung are Indonesia’s ubiquitous and no-frills answer to café culture, located on virtually every corner and wafting out wondrous flavours into the night sky. The best way to get a flavour of a country is to taste its cooking. In this article, we give you ten of the best and most famous culinary treats. If you’re travelling to Indonesia, there are plenty of tasty treats in store. Selamat makan!
1. Nasi Goreng
This local staple simply has to be tried if you intend to get a real taste of Indonesia. Literally meaning ‘fried rice’, nasi goreng is cooked up in giant, smoke-blackened woks on the roadsides and in restaurants throughout the archipelago, along with onions, garlic, chilli, egg and seasoning. Nasi Gila (literally meaning ‘crazy rice’) will chuck even more delicious ingredients into the cauldron. Served up with crispy prawn crackers and some fresh side salad, this is cheap and cheerful street cuisine with a tasty twist.
2. Martabak
Indulgence, thy name is martabak. Probably illegal in most countries, and so tasty is just has to be terminally bad for you, martabak makes black forest gateau look like a salad. Butter, chocolate, eggs and batter are flipped and tossed into a calorific monster pancake. Then, nuts, cookies or Toblerone add a final flourish, before the whole thing is folded in half to form a sodden, oozing mattress of gooey and satisfying goodness. There is a savoury version, but don’t be fooled by its choco-free exterior; butter would most certainly melt in its mouth, just as chocolate martabak does so gloriously in yours. Unbutton the top of your trousers, put an ambulance on standby and get stuck in.
3. Kelapa Muda
What could be better than white sandy beaches, warm breeze in your face and the sound of ocean waves gently lapping at the shore? Well, how about a fresh coconut to sip from as you take in the scenery? Kelapa Muda (young coconut) is the perfect companion for Indo adventures; cool, refreshing and quintessentially tropical. This healthy and simple snack is so quick, easy and readily available all over Indonesia, it was responsible for a mini-boom in the 1970s, when industrious young Javanese beach bums packed up their coconuts, moved to the big cities and made a fortune. You can still find sellers offering Kelapa Muda to urban commuters to this day, so you don’t even have to be at the beach to enjoy some seaside refreshment. One sip with the eyes closed, and you’ll swear you can hear those ocean waves calling.
4. Warteg
Any time you see this contraction of ‘Warung Tegal’ appearing above the door in Indonesia, you can rest assured you’ve found another of Indonesia’s most ubiquitous staples; a versatile eatery akin to the English greasy spoon, Warteg caters to a wide variety of tastes. From to spicy boiled eggs to grilled chicken, sautéed vegetables, boiled fish, stewed beef, or pan-fried soy and spices; Warteg offers seemingly infinite choice. Try the tempe oreg with ikan tongkol and a side of veg for a uniquely Javanese taste extravaganza. Can’t decide what to eat for breakfast, lunch or dinner? Just get to the local Warteg and you can have it all.
5. Cincau
Cincau is served chilled in a bowl or glass, either by itself or with fruits, but also used in bubble tea. Thought to have cooling (yin) properties, Cincau makes a perfect tonic during hot weather. The jelly itself has a slightly bitter taste; a light iodine and lavender flavour, with a translucent dark brown colouration. As always in Indonesia, the drink is sweetened considerably with sugary cream syrup. Cincau shops are common on the busy city streets of Jakarta, whereas in rural areas, you are more likely to see the drink made and served from the portable kitchen of a travelling street vendor, accompanied by the tinkling ring of a bell, a sing-song voice and a broad, toothless smile.
6. Gado-gado
So good they named it twice; Gado-Gado is spicy peanut sauce with crunchy fresh beansprouts – a veggie street special that always hits the spot. Vegetarian food is not always immediately obvious on the streets of Indonesia, with meat-based dishes generally hogging the limelight (no haram pun intended). If you’re a veggie, or if you just want to lay off the local wildlife for a while, Gado-Gado is a godsend. As fresh, tangy, spicy and relatively low-calorie as it is alliterative, the name soon becomes an exclamation to describe the taste: “mmm… Gado-Gado!”
7. Seafood
With a stocked ocean larder on the doorstep, seafood is something of a specialty here. Fish of all shapes and sizes clamour with crustaceans onto dinner plates, bursting with an array of spices, herbs and tangy sauce, enveloped in the delicately smoky flavour of coconut and bamboo from a beach barbeque. You haven’t tried fish until you’ve tasted it fresh out of the sea and served up with spicy sambal sauce. Nowhere does seafood quite like Indonesia.
8. Mie
Sometimes on holiday, we all need to get some mie time. In Indonesia, mie means noodles. And noodles can mean a lot of different things, depending on where you are and who’s doing the cooking. Mie Aceh, Mie Ayam, Mie Godog, Mie Ramen; the list goes on. Second only to rice as the daily standard, noodles here come in all kinds of shapes and sizes, with a whole host of cities and provinces offering their unique take on this classic Asian cuisine. Top travelling tip: don’t fall for the ease and cheapness of Indomie – the mass-produced instant noodles don’t hold a candle to the wholesome and flavourful goodness of Ibu’s home cooking. Unless you’re desperate, a student, entirely out of cash, or all of the above, there’s no excuse for tucking into Indomie when the true noodles are so much better. Boiled or fried, you’ll be satisfied.
9. Durian
Fancy something unusual? Indonesia always has a surprise up its sleeve, and with food it has a flair for the genuinely unique. Durian is Indonesia’s Marmite. A spiky fruit with an explosion of flavours hidden beneath its prickly tendrils; you either love it, or want to throw it out of the window and run. Banned on public transport and prone to fermenting into a drunken goo if left in the fridge, this extraordinary fruit divides opinion and defies definition. Its taste has been described as a mixture of aromatic, bitter, sweet and savoury all rolled into one, combining creamy custard undertones with a butter-like consistency and hints of almonds with garlic. Its smell has also been likened to an open sewer mingling with a gas leek in an abattoir. Not for the feint of stomach, but an absolute must for adventurous culinary globetrotters. Are you a lover or a hater of this controversial fruit? You’ll never know until you try!
10. Nasi Padang
High on the culinary bucket list should be Nasi Padang – a style of cooking haling from its namesake hometown in West Sumatra, blending delicious meats, seafood, vegetables and spices marinated in sumptuous sauces of coconut, chilli and herbs; this ubiquitous cookery is so popular, it’s spread to virtually every corner of the nation. Try the Sapi Rendang and you may decide to stay forever. With so many tastes on the table, you’ll need to come back to Indonesia again for second helpings.
1. Nasi Goreng
This local staple simply has to be tried if you intend to get a real taste of Indonesia. Literally meaning ‘fried rice’, nasi goreng is cooked up in giant, smoke-blackened woks on the roadsides and in restaurants throughout the archipelago, along with onions, garlic, chilli, egg and seasoning. Nasi Gila (literally meaning ‘crazy rice’) will chuck even more delicious ingredients into the cauldron. Served up with crispy prawn crackers and some fresh side salad, this is cheap and cheerful street cuisine with a tasty twist.
2. Martabak
Indulgence, thy name is martabak. Probably illegal in most countries, and so tasty is just has to be terminally bad for you, martabak makes black forest gateau look like a salad. Butter, chocolate, eggs and batter are flipped and tossed into a calorific monster pancake. Then, nuts, cookies or Toblerone add a final flourish, before the whole thing is folded in half to form a sodden, oozing mattress of gooey and satisfying goodness. There is a savoury version, but don’t be fooled by its choco-free exterior; butter would most certainly melt in its mouth, just as chocolate martabak does so gloriously in yours. Unbutton the top of your trousers, put an ambulance on standby and get stuck in.
3. Kelapa Muda
What could be better than white sandy beaches, warm breeze in your face and the sound of ocean waves gently lapping at the shore? Well, how about a fresh coconut to sip from as you take in the scenery? Kelapa Muda (young coconut) is the perfect companion for Indo adventures; cool, refreshing and quintessentially tropical. This healthy and simple snack is so quick, easy and readily available all over Indonesia, it was responsible for a mini-boom in the 1970s, when industrious young Javanese beach bums packed up their coconuts, moved to the big cities and made a fortune. You can still find sellers offering Kelapa Muda to urban commuters to this day, so you don’t even have to be at the beach to enjoy some seaside refreshment. One sip with the eyes closed, and you’ll swear you can hear those ocean waves calling.
4. Warteg
Any time you see this contraction of ‘Warung Tegal’ appearing above the door in Indonesia, you can rest assured you’ve found another of Indonesia’s most ubiquitous staples; a versatile eatery akin to the English greasy spoon, Warteg caters to a wide variety of tastes. From to spicy boiled eggs to grilled chicken, sautéed vegetables, boiled fish, stewed beef, or pan-fried soy and spices; Warteg offers seemingly infinite choice. Try the tempe oreg with ikan tongkol and a side of veg for a uniquely Javanese taste extravaganza. Can’t decide what to eat for breakfast, lunch or dinner? Just get to the local Warteg and you can have it all.
5. Cincau
Cincau is served chilled in a bowl or glass, either by itself or with fruits, but also used in bubble tea. Thought to have cooling (yin) properties, Cincau makes a perfect tonic during hot weather. The jelly itself has a slightly bitter taste; a light iodine and lavender flavour, with a translucent dark brown colouration. As always in Indonesia, the drink is sweetened considerably with sugary cream syrup. Cincau shops are common on the busy city streets of Jakarta, whereas in rural areas, you are more likely to see the drink made and served from the portable kitchen of a travelling street vendor, accompanied by the tinkling ring of a bell, a sing-song voice and a broad, toothless smile.
6. Gado-gado
So good they named it twice; Gado-Gado is spicy peanut sauce with crunchy fresh beansprouts – a veggie street special that always hits the spot. Vegetarian food is not always immediately obvious on the streets of Indonesia, with meat-based dishes generally hogging the limelight (no haram pun intended). If you’re a veggie, or if you just want to lay off the local wildlife for a while, Gado-Gado is a godsend. As fresh, tangy, spicy and relatively low-calorie as it is alliterative, the name soon becomes an exclamation to describe the taste: “mmm… Gado-Gado!”
7. Seafood
With a stocked ocean larder on the doorstep, seafood is something of a specialty here. Fish of all shapes and sizes clamour with crustaceans onto dinner plates, bursting with an array of spices, herbs and tangy sauce, enveloped in the delicately smoky flavour of coconut and bamboo from a beach barbeque. You haven’t tried fish until you’ve tasted it fresh out of the sea and served up with spicy sambal sauce. Nowhere does seafood quite like Indonesia.
8. Mie
Sometimes on holiday, we all need to get some mie time. In Indonesia, mie means noodles. And noodles can mean a lot of different things, depending on where you are and who’s doing the cooking. Mie Aceh, Mie Ayam, Mie Godog, Mie Ramen; the list goes on. Second only to rice as the daily standard, noodles here come in all kinds of shapes and sizes, with a whole host of cities and provinces offering their unique take on this classic Asian cuisine. Top travelling tip: don’t fall for the ease and cheapness of Indomie – the mass-produced instant noodles don’t hold a candle to the wholesome and flavourful goodness of Ibu’s home cooking. Unless you’re desperate, a student, entirely out of cash, or all of the above, there’s no excuse for tucking into Indomie when the true noodles are so much better. Boiled or fried, you’ll be satisfied.
9. Durian
Fancy something unusual? Indonesia always has a surprise up its sleeve, and with food it has a flair for the genuinely unique. Durian is Indonesia’s Marmite. A spiky fruit with an explosion of flavours hidden beneath its prickly tendrils; you either love it, or want to throw it out of the window and run. Banned on public transport and prone to fermenting into a drunken goo if left in the fridge, this extraordinary fruit divides opinion and defies definition. Its taste has been described as a mixture of aromatic, bitter, sweet and savoury all rolled into one, combining creamy custard undertones with a butter-like consistency and hints of almonds with garlic. Its smell has also been likened to an open sewer mingling with a gas leek in an abattoir. Not for the feint of stomach, but an absolute must for adventurous culinary globetrotters. Are you a lover or a hater of this controversial fruit? You’ll never know until you try!
10. Nasi Padang
High on the culinary bucket list should be Nasi Padang – a style of cooking haling from its namesake hometown in West Sumatra, blending delicious meats, seafood, vegetables and spices marinated in sumptuous sauces of coconut, chilli and herbs; this ubiquitous cookery is so popular, it’s spread to virtually every corner of the nation. Try the Sapi Rendang and you may decide to stay forever. With so many tastes on the table, you’ll need to come back to Indonesia again for second helpings.
