Well, this is it. After months of inactivity, I finally write again. But this time, the pandemic still rages on, I've got a new hobby (assembling Lego cars) to go with that, and some other work-related business I've had to attend. I've been tested twice for the coronavirus (rapid blood testing and PCR), both came back negative (phew!). Ushering the New Normal era means that we can go back to our normal activities, albeit still have to adhere to medical protocols (masks, two meters distance policy, and washing the hands frequently). But back when we still under quarantine (well, partial quarantine in Indonesia to be honest), I've walked down memory lane with older rock and metal songs, watching old YouTube videos, and watching cooking shows, especially if the host is the one Gordon Ramsay.
If you are wondering where this piece is going to go, calm down. This would still have the correlation with the topic, which is about the local Indonesian culinary scene. As you all know, when it comes to Indonesian cuisine, there is only one thing that can be associate with the 18.000+ island nation: spice. It has influences from the Chinese, The Middle East, Indians, and Malay. When Gordon Ramsay's latest show Uncharted, airing on National Geographic channel broadcasted the Indonesian episode, I was head over heels excited, because I'm about to watch an iconic British (Scottish to be exact) chef visiting Indonesia for the first time and try the colorful dishes this country has to offer. Aside from his job as a celebrity chef, Ramsay, who is also known for his short temper and explosive personality in the kitchen, likes to travel the world to sample the best food that he could possibly find. And in Indonesia, he chose the province of West Sumatera as his destination, which means one thing: the dish known as Rendang. Yes. The one that once voted as the most delicious dish by CNN in 2017, edging out Nasi Goreng (Indonesian Style Fried Rice), another Indonesian staple.
In the aftermath of that episode, He released two more Indonesia-related videos on his YouTube channel, one where he incorporated the Rendang paste into his duck egg omelet, and the other where he attempted to make Nasi Goreng with a deliciously good result. Hell, one channel in particular, run by a UK-based comedian Nigel Ng, under his persona Uncle Roger, reviewed this particular video with nothing but praise and compliments. All jokes aside, I think Chef Ramsay nailed this one, because of two reasons. One, he knows his ingredients. Nasi Goreng typically uses leftover rice, although some of us can also go with freshly cooked rice at some point. Leftover rice is better at absorbing flavors being thrown inside the cooking surface (in this case a wok), while freshly cooked rice might have some moisture in it, so it can be a little soggy at times (sorry Hersha Patel, but you just don't wash the freaking rice after cooking it). In his recipe, Chef Ramsay uses sambal paste AND the rendang paste to enhance the spiciness, aside from the fact that he also uses galangal, and fresh chili as the base (sorry Jamie Oliver, but putting chili jam in your fried rice is just wrong). Two, he knows the right tools. If you watch that video in question, I swear to God, that was one of the most entertaining cooks I've ever watched. The dude even uses two woks! The previous two videos featured normal cooking pan as the cooking surface, which has flat base instead of a curved one that Chef Ramsay used. As one of roughly 248 million Indonesian residents, I give my stamp of approval to Chef Gordon Ramsay for this one.
On another side, I must say, while this dish is a fairly simple dish, it can be deceiving. Why? You asked. Because it's all about NOT overcomplicating the cooking process itself. Yes, fried rice in general doesn't have a fixed recipe, but that doesn't mean that everything can be thrown into a fried rice. Some ingredients might work on other setting, but not necessarily fit into most demographics. You can use pork-based products into the dish, but that means Muslims can't eat it. The other thing is finding the balance. A good fried rice should be balanced on spiciness, saltiness, smokiness, and the overall flavor of the rice itself. I've learned through many attempts that aside from those factors above, there is one thing that can easily be overlooked while cooking this particular dish: the amount of oil being put inside during the cooking process. A greasy fried rice is something you absolutely hate to see after such a quick, fast-paced cook. Over-seasoning or under-seasoning a fried rice can be fixed, but a greasy fried rice? nope, throw it out, start a new one.
But Indonesian cuisine is not just about Rendang or Nasi Goreng. With the latter, if you swap out the rice with noodles, you got Mie Goreng, in other regions, different cultures mean different cuisines. In my home province of North Sulawesi, seafood is the frontrunner of the local food scene. Since Manado is a coastline city, you can easily find restaurants that specializes in Ikan Bakar, or Grilled Fish. They mostly do catch of the day, which means whatever the fish that were caught the night before, is cooked the following day. Going up in the mountains, towards the Minahasa Regency, wild game is more commonly known. Since this province is a Christian-majority region, you can find many unusual dishes made with the most unusual of ingredients, like Paniki, which was made from bats, or snake-based dishes, and even Rentek Wu'uk, which is made from (unfortunately) dog meat. One thing is for sure, when it comes to spice tolerance, Manadonese in general are notorious for having iron stomach, because of their fairly high tolerance for spices. There is a saying in Manado, that goes, "If there is no chili on your plate, then you are not living your life". Other instances of different cultural background influencing their cuisine is The Island of The Gods, Bali. Being a Hindu majority, pork-based dishes is more prevalent in this island, albeit some of them still enjoys Beef. When it comes to its signature dish, you must mention the Betutu, made from either chicken or duck. This dish is more like a set-it-and-forget-it type of dish, as the cooking process takes roughly 7-8 hours. The Javanese are known to be on the sweet side of the culinary spectrum. One dish that resonates to me the most is obviously Gudeg, found in the Special Region of Jogjakarta. This dish uses unripe jackfruit submerged and stewed in sugar, served with rehydrated spicy cow skin, chicken or beef, and coconut rice. The Sundanese in West Java, where I'm currently living nowadays, are more into the spice game than the Javanese. Case in point, seblak. This soup-based dish is known to be spicy and can be adjusted to whoever is eating it. It contains meat products like chicken, fish balls, meatballs, beef, hard-boiled eggs, noodles, soggy crackers, and various vegetables, with adjustable heat levels, usually level 1 for really mild, to level 5 for scorching hot, like when you are being thrown to the deepest parts of Hell. They are also known to feature raw vegetables in their dish. On the eastern part of the country, like the Maluku Islands and Papua, they have an alternative to rice called Papeda. Made from sago, Papeda is usually eaten as the substitute to rice, often accompanied by Yellow Broth Fish Soup. The texture is kind of a jelly, but starchy. If you want to taste extreme food without having to torture yourself with dog met, just hop over to Makassar, the southern tip of the Sulawesi Island. The dish, Coto Makassar is mainly made using every part of a cow, like the meat, tongue, gizzard, colon, longue, and other parts, drenched in peanut-based broth, with a sprinkle of salt, sambal, and lemon juice, enjoyed with ketupat rice cakes.
Indonesian cuisine is really colorful, and depending on which province you currently live, it can be either spicy, sweet, or something in between. Many would say that in order to enjoy a country, you must first enjoy its food, and as an Indonesian myself, I'm proud to say that Indonesian food is finally being recognized all over the world. When this pandemic finally over, I can promise you who would like to spend some time in this country, that you will enjoy this country, its beautiful scenery, and most importantly, the food. Until then, stay safe, keep washing your hands, keep wearing that mask, and always 2 meters apart at all times.
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