Why is Indonesian food so delicious?
Amazing Indonesian home cooked Sundanese food with Ken @cowokrakus!
As I was about to dig into a plate of Nasi Padang, a nice man sitting at the table next to me said:
“It’s because Indonesian food is based on fresh spices and herbs.”
And when you and I look at the list of food below, and notice the fresh herbs and multitude of spices used in Indonesian cooking, it truly is a huge contributing factor as to why Indonesian cuisine is so flavorful and exciting to eat.
In this blog post I’m going to share with you 50 incredibly delicious Indonesian foods. Get ready for a serious Indonesian culinary journey!
Related: For information on where I stayed and Jakarta travel tips check out this guide.
Indonesian Food: 50 Dishes (we will discuss one by one)
Before we get started, I just want to make it clear that this is not an exhaustive or complete list of food in Indonesia (there are thousands of Indonesian dishes), but it’s a definite start to discovering the incredible cuisine of Indonesia. Some of the foods I included, such as durian and petai, are simply because I love them so much.
For each of the dishes listed in this Indonesian food guide I’ve included the dish, and if possible, the restaurant where I ate it in Jakarta (you may also be interested in my Jakarta travel guide).
Ayam goreng – Indonesian fried chicken
Is there any country in the world where fried chicken is not enjoyed?
I haven’t found one yet, and in Indonesia, due to both the deliciousness of the actual chicken (more about this below), and because fried chicken, which is known in Bahasa Indonesia as ayam goreng, is always served with sambal chili sauce to dip it in.
Ayam kampung, or village chickens, are the free range country style chickens popular in Indonesia, and often used in the making of local style Indonesian fried chicken. The chickens, while small, definitely make up for their size with their flavor. Unlike big fat chickens that can sometimes be too tender and artificially juicy, ayam kampung are the types of chickens that have a slight rubber texture to them, but with every chew comes more and more chicken country flavor – and I loved them.
For many types of Indonesian fried chicken, the chicken is not heavily breaded or battered, but it’s marinated in lots of pureed garlic and shallots, lightly battered, and deep fried to a serious golden crispiness. What I love about Indonesian fried chicken is that all that flavor gets embedded into the chicken instead of the batter. Here’s a great recipe if you want to make Indonesian fried chicken.
Where: You’ll find ayam goreng all over Jakarta but the version pictured is from Nasi Uduk Zainal Fanani. Address: Jalan Kebon Kacang 8 No. 5, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta; Open hours: 10 am – 12 am midnight daily; Prices: 75,000 IDR ($5.74) for 2; Watch the video here.
Nasi Uduk (Coconut Rice) and Fried Chicken in Jakarta
That looks exceptionally good. I like to try new foods because there is so much in this world to experience. It is the common bond between all peoples. Thanks for posting this!
yeah thanks, I will share information here