Indonesian loves hot and spicy foods, most people even add various kind of "sambal" (hot and spicy sauce) to their food if the food is not that "hot". I use to have my own hot and spicy sauce in the bottle every time I have to go to travel abroad. I felt something missing without those " sambal". Anyway, I would like to introduce "cabe gendot" which actually is Indonesian jalapeño that extremely hot!

Orang Indonesia suka banget makanan pedas, malah banyak yang merasa kurang afdol kalau makan tanpa sambal. Saya juga, sih, malah kalau travel ke luar negeri, saya selalu bawa sambal botol ke mana-mana. Kali ini saya mau menceritakan sedikit tentang cabe gendot yang pedas banget seperti jalapeño ala Indonesia.

Don't judge the book from its cover, it is true. Don't judge this kind of chili by its look. It looks nice but when you eat it, then you will understand how spicy it is. Just add two of this cabe Gendot with its seeds in your dishes, then your tounge will get burnt! Its spicy scale is similar to habanero chili that reach to 350.000 Scoville scale!!!

Jangan pernah menilai isi dari sampulnya, dan itu benar. Jangan menilai cabe ini dari luarnya. Kelihatannya cabe ini biasa saja dari luar, tapi coba dimakan. Aduh! Dua cabe gendot yang dimasak bersama bijinya sudah bisa membuat seluruh masakan menjadi sangat pedas. Bikin lidah terbakar! Menurut skala kepedasan, cabe gendot ini pedasnya mencapai 350.000 skala Scovillle yang secara dengan cabe habanero, cabe terpedas di Mexico.

I don't know if I can find this Indonesian jalapeño in another region of Indonesia, but this is very popular in West Java Province and other areas in Java island. We used to add this jalapeño with some dishes, such as with "tempe" (traditional soy product), sweet soy sauce, and "petai" (bitter bean). Since it is too hot, I used to rid away its seeds so I can have a good taste. If I use its seeds, it will be too hot and I can't enjoy the food.

Saya tidak tahu apakah cabe ini ada di daerah lain, tetapi sangat popular di Jawa Barat dan daerah lainnya di Pulau Jawa. Biasanya cabe ini dimasak bersama tempe, kecap manis, dan petai. Berhubungan sangat pedas, saya biasanya membuang bijinya dulu supaya enak. Kalau sama bijinya, nggak sanggup!

We can easily find this chili in any traditional market and the price is cheap, less than US$ 1 for each kg. To be frankly, I don't know about it, my mom who told me. She is the one who used to go to the market and asked me to cook it for her. I reminded her not to eat that much because she has problem with her ulcer, this chili is actually too spicy for her.

Kita dapat dengan mudah menemukan cabe ini di pasar tradisional, harganya juga murah sekitar Rp. 10.000,- per kg. Jujur saya sebenarnya tidak tahu pasti, ibu saya yang kasih tahu. Beliau yang biasanya beli dan meminta saya untuk memasaknya. Saya sering ingatkan untuk tidak banyak-banyak makan cabe ini, pedasnya bisa bikin yang punya sakit maag jerit-jeritan.

When you visit Indonesia, especially java island, don't forget to find this cabe Gendot. It will give you an unforgettable experience, especially if you dare yourself to taste it when its raw. I dont have my guds to try it though! Hahaha....

Kalau Anda datang ke Indonesia, apalagi ke Pulau Jawa, jangan lupa cari yah cabe gendot ini. Dijamin akan memberikan pengalaman tak terlupakan terutama jika berani memakan cabe ini langsung. Saya, sih, nggak berani! Hahaha....

Bandung, 9 July 2018

Warm Regards - Salam hangat selalu,

Mariska Lubis