AAAY Makan Enak!
I’ll admit - I had zero idea what Indonesian food was before I arrived in Bali, my first stop in Indonesia. Back in New York, where there are people and cuisines from all corners of the globe, we actually don’t have a sizable Indonesian community. So, sadly, not much Indonesian food!
After spending a total of five or so months in different parts of Indo, I was lucky to learn a good bit about Indonesian food. Indonesia is an enormous country, and culture (and therefore, food) can vary drastically from place to place. For example, Bali is predominately Hindu - in that religion, cows are sacred, so you might be hard pressed to find find beef there. The majority of the country is Muslim - in most areas in Indonesia, you’ll have to go without your bacon, because Islam forbids eating pork.
There are regional dishes you may only find in one place, but there are some national staple foods you can find everywhere. Common themes I found in the cuisine wherever I went are: frying just about everything, serving main dishes with delicious chili sauce - sambal, and rice on rice on rice. Fried rice, nasi goreng (served with veggies and your choice of protein) is a national dish. It’s super affordable, at 10-20,000 rupiah per plate - the equivalent of .68 - 1.36 USD. Other dishes you can find in most places include delectable curries, sweet and savory satay (meat on a stick) and, according to some, the best fried chicken in the world. Another truly standout dish is rendang, which was once voted as one of the top 50 dishes in the world! It’s a savory, spicy, complex stew usually made with meat (often, beef), coconut milk and a magical paste made with a zillion ingredients like lemongrass, turmeric, ginger, chilis, and shallots.
Not a carnivore? Have no fear - Indo is a great destination for vegetarians and vegans, as tofu and tempeh are staple proteins. Similar to tofu, tempeh is made from fermented soy beans but has a more cake-like texture. It is delicious, especially when fried. Throughout the country, you can find my favorite dish - gado gado, which usually consists of boiled vegetables like water spinach, potatoes, bean sprouts, and long beans, topped with a kickass peanut sauce, boiled egg, crunchy prawn crackers, and plenty of fried tempeh. It may sound kind of bizzare, but it’s SO delicious and a really balanced meal. It also usually costs no more than 10,000 rupiah per plate!
When you want to express to the waiter how delicious your meal was (and you will, because it will be yum-tastic, and because the waiter is probably going to be super friendly and eager to please you) you say “ENAK!”
GF Survival Guide
I found Indonesia to be a relatively easy place to be gluten free, because as in much of Asia, their staple carb is rice! They do use wheat flour (tepung terigu) in many baked goods, especially the more processed ones, but you can still find some treats made with rice flour (tepung beras). Here are some great foods to try if you’re GF!
Kari (curry) - I ate curry daily, because it’s p much always GF and def always delicious. It’s soupy, made with lots of coconut milk, and seasoned with yummy spices. You get your pick of protein - chicken, seafood, and tempeh are great choices. It’s way less spicy than Indian curry, but still has a kick. It’s usually served with white rice, too.
Omelet - Indonesians love omelets. They are oily and filled with tons of veg. It’s a great go-to for an affordable, quick bite that won’t upset your belly.
Soto ayam (chicken soup) - So comforting and soothing for the tummy!
Salat (salad) - An obvious GF choice - just make sure to watch out for the dressing.
Various desserts made with rice flour!
The major concern for the gluten free is soy sauce (kecap), which is present in many dishes. Unfortunately, the challenge only begins there. The word kecap is tricky, because it is pronounced keh-chup (a lone “c” in Indonesian is pronounced “ch”). Well, fuck, this sounds just like ketchup. Although the word for ketchup in Indonesian is saus tomat, if you meet Indonesians who are used to dealing with tourists, they may assume that when you say you don’t want any kecap, you’re trying to say ketchup, i.e. saus tomat! Soy vey!
The way I dealt with this was by saying a full sentence in Indonesian: “Saya alergi kecap.” This, word for word, means “I allergic soy sauce.” (Indonesian is easy - they have no verb for “to be.”) I found that generally, if I said the full sentence in the language, the cook or waiter would understand that I really was talking about kecap. Other helpful phrases/words include:
Saya alergi gandum. - I am allergic to wheat.
Saya alergi produk susu. - I am allergic to dairy products.
Saya saket perut kalau makan_______ - I will be ill if I eat ________.
Kecap manis - sweet soy sauce. This stuff is really fucking good. Even though it’s sweet, it still has gluten in it. Skip if you want to avoid bloating and diarrhea. :)
Nasi - rice. Your savior. Nasi putih - white rice - is what you’ll find most everywhere. You may also come across black AKA purple rice. Tasty, too, and safe for you! (ha ha I rhymed!)
Tepung beras - rice flour.