7 Foods in Jakarta that Have a Unique Betawi Taste

Source: www.indonesia.travel

Betawi food is indeed very well known in various circles of Indonesian society, especially in Jakarta. The taste is very delicious and also, its trademark can shake the tongue of anyone who enjoys it. Since the first, Betawi is known as one of the tribes with a delicious variety of food. This Betawi food comes from snacks to heavy meals, which can then be enjoyed and eaten with rice. No wonder the Betawi food is in great demand by local and foreign tourists. Well, for those of you who like to eat, it won’t feel good if you’ve never tried one of these Betawi specialties.

1. Jengkol stew

The first Betawi food is jengkol stew, which is very popular among the people of Jakarta. This food does have a characteristic smell that not everyone can like. However, jengkol cooked with various spices makes jengkol which is initially bitter, become delicious when eaten. You can make jengkol stew as a side dish with white rice. So famous, jengkol stew can be found in various restaurants throughout Indonesia.

2. Vegetable Cork Pucung

The next Betawi food is vegetable cork pucung which uses cork fish as its basic ingredient. Snakehead fish is cooked using spices such as coriander and a very distinctive vegetable sauce containing a mixture of bay leaves, lemongrass, lime leaves, ginger, tomatoes, limes, galangal, onions, and cayenne pepper. The sour taste combined with the spicy makes this one dish much in demand, especially when added to the soft cork fish meat.

3. Pecak Catfish

The next Betawi food is pecak catfish which is made from processed catfish. As it is known that processed catfish are pretty common in Indonesia, however, the catfish which is processed with Betawi special spices has a unique taste. Suppose most catfish are only fried and served with chili sauce. Pecak lele is served with peanut sauce and tamarind water and is drizzled with coconut milk over the pre-fried catfish.

4. Egg Crust

Betawi food that is often sold in various regions in Indonesia is egg crust famous for its savory taste. This one food is made from chicken or duck eggs, then there is white glutinous rice and ebi that have been roasted to resemble abon.

5. Nasi Ulam

Nasi ulam is also one of the famous Betawi foods. If most of you only know fried rice, you need to know this Betawi specialty rice taste. The basic ingredients are steamed rice along with spices such as bay leaves, galangal and lemongrass. After that, the serundeng will be mixed into the steamed rice.

6. Vegetable Babanci

The next Betawi food is vegetable babanci which is made from vegetables, young coconut, and beef. The presence of petai and spicy sauce also adds to the enjoyment of this babanci vegetable. This food is so kicking on your tongue when enjoyed. Unfortunately, now this babanci vegetable is very difficult to find.

7. Asinan Betawi

Another Betawi specialty is asinan Betawi which is sold in asinan carts along the streets of Jakarta. This pickle is a mixture of various vegetables, which are then salted and preserved, such as sprouts, mustard greens, lettuce, cabbage, and doused with peanut sauce along with vinegar and chili. Then, it will be sprinkled with fried peanuts. This pickle can be enjoyed with yellow crackers shaped like circular noodles on top of the pickles. Even though the name is pickled, don’t mistake it because it doesn’t have a salty taste but is fresh. Perfect for enjoying during the day.

Whether your trips take you to a long stroll on beaches, delicious cuisines, relaxing spas and resorts or urban attractions, extra research will give you the best experience for your visit. Get to know more about Jakarta by visiting Wonderful Indonesia.