Street Food for the Gods in Indonesia

 

YO! If you’re ever in the beautiful island of Java in Indonesia, you will find local street foods can bring a joy of wonder to your taste buds. From Jakarta to the small island of Bali, the wonders of fascinating culture and friendly locals are made even more amazing by the street food you will find made for the Gods.

Below is some of the most memorable street food eats I encountered in my visit to Indonesia.

Bubur ayam (chicken-congee)– Verywell loved by young children and, strangely enough, also by late night partiers, who after a hard night’s of clubbing, dine on this easily-digested meal just before sunrise. I remember it with a happy stomach and will return soon to Surabaya, Indonesia to feast on it once again.

Gado Gado - A classic Bali street food and one of the rare Indonesian dishes ideal for vegetarians as its ingredients are bean sprouts and other vegetables smothered in a savory-sweet Javanese peanut sauce which is served by some stree vendors in the brown paper you find those brown paper bags you used in the supermarkets in the 70's and 80's in the U.S.

 

Rujak cingur. Take a green platain leaf and cut it into square pieces and  then serve it with dashings of peanut sauce, and chuck in whatever else you can find in the fridge - cucumber, tempe, some noodles, unripe mango - and add a touch of shrimp paste,for a crisp, tart and sweet explosion of tastes and textures on the tongue. This is rujak cingur, the rujak made by indegious in Malaysia is a totally different beast from that made by Chinese in Singapore or Madurese in East Java.

Rujuk manis (Indonesian fruit salad) not to be confused with rujak cingur, rujak manis is an Indonesian fruit salad (papaya, unripe mango, pineapple, jicama, starfruit, water apple, guava) served with a spicy hot peanut sauce! Sounds hot, but taste great.

 

Nasi uduk – food fit for kings and the urban masses, nasi uduk is coconut rice Betawi style. A treat with sherred or fried chicken tempe, fried shallots and a omlette and a small salad. This exquisite street eat will haunt you forever if you do nto eat it again... so freaking good, NOM!