Film School Article
The Food In Indonesia: Spicy And Exotic
The saying chart the countrys cuisine and one chart its history is very true for Indonesia, which is the worlds fifth biggest country inhabited by two-hundred and fifty ethnic groups. The world of Indonesian food has become a pleasurable arena for culinary adventurers because of the marvelous ethnic diversity paired with its wave upon wave cultural influence.
The Indonesian cuisines have been transformed into a haven for the palate. Thanks to the blending of the native techniques of Indonesia food cooking and ingredients with influences from China, India, Middle East and Europe and the products of the new world brought by the Portuguese and Spaniards even before it was colonized by the Dutch.
The Central and Western Indonesia food, specifically their main meal, is normally cooked late during morning and eaten around midday. A lot of Indonesian families do not have a specific meal time with all family members being expected to be present and hence most of their dishes are cooked in such a way that it can last and still be suitable for eating even if left for hours at room temperature. The same food is reheated for evening meal.
Rice or Nasi is the staple diet of Indonesia food. This is substituted with corn, cassava, sweet potato and sago in some parts of the island. Though almost all types of international cuisines like the French, Korean, Japanese and Italian are found in Jakarta, the spices of Indonesia food make its native cuisine exceptional.
Visitors should always be aware of the fact that the Indonesian food is highly spiced and fitted to the taste of Indonesians. They have to look out for small, fiery hot green and red peppers on their food including vegetable and salad dishes. One of the most excellent varieties of Indonesian food is the sea foods which are highly featured on menus including the lobsters, prawns, oysters, squid, shrimps, crabs, salt and freshwater fish and shark.
The favorite ingredient in Indonesian food is coconut, though vegetables and fresh fruits like papaya, bananas, oranges and pineapple that are obtained throughout the year are also Indonesian favorites. National specialties like Nasi uduk, rasirames, campur (rice dishes), Rijstafel (Dutch mixture of various fish, meats, curries, and vegetables), and Soto (soup dish with chicken, vegetables, and dumpling) should be tried by the tourists who are visiting Indonesia for the first time to truly savor the real Indonesia food cooking.
Visitors eating their way through Indonesia really enjoy and appreciate the countrys cultural cross roads, not to mention making them ache for one more bite.
