This is not a list of well-known classics, but rather a collection of flavours and textures less-familiar to most Western palates… Descriptions are deliberately obscure: finding out what the foods actually are is part of the fun.
Downloadable .pdf here.
What’s missing? Send me your candidates.
| (Real) Rendang (chewy, thick) | Baso (bouncy, beefy) | Pempek (bouncy, fishy) | Otak-otak (fishy, squishy) | Tahu Gejerot (sour, pongy and spongy) |
| Agar-agar (firm poppy jelly) | Kue Talam (squishy and tacky) | Tape Ubi or Singkong (Goreng) (spongy, fermenty) | Onde-onde (chewy and clumpy) | Bika Ambon (Bubbly and elastic) |
| Martabak Manis keju coklat wijen (bubbly and buttery, cheesy and chocolatey) | Kue Putuh (floury, sugar-melty) | Surabi (bouncy and lacey) | Singkong Goreng (crispy, floury) | Ikan Teri Kacang (salty fishy crunchy halal bacon) |
| Emping (aromatic, crunchy) | Peyek kacang daun jeruk (tacky, nutty, limey) | Rengingang (crunchy anti-Rice-Crispies) | Bubur Ayam (soft, crunchy, sweet, savoury) | Soto Betawi (savoury, limey, gelatinous) |
| Kolak (creamy and firm) | Bubur Sumsum (gelatinous and floppy) | Tape Ketan (fermenty, grainy) | Jengkol and Pete (firmly gaseous) | Cendol (sweet and slippery) |
| Es Pudeng (multi-faceted sweet value) | Comro and Oncom (spicy and savory / sweet and crispy metafungus) | Dadar Gulung (green elastic tremendousness) | Soto Mie Bogor (various and chewy) | Es Campur (snowy syrupy beanness) |
| Kerak Telor (Eggy crunchy sweetness) | Siomay (peanutty dimsum) | Nasi Uduk (aromatic coconutty breakfast spice) | Cakwe (youtiao) and Kue Bantal (crispy and elastic) | Bubur Kacang Hijau and Bubur Ketan Hitam (sweet beany gloopiness) |
| Tongseng (savoury goat richness) | Rawon (savoury beefy depth) | Sate Padang (rubbery curried savour) | Sate Kambing with the fat (fat of the land) | Ketupat Sayur (salty curried squishy) |
See also:
80/20 language and culture learning (Indonesian): Lagu Anak (Kids’ Songs) #1
80/20 language and culture learning (Indonesian): Lagu Anak (Kids’ Songs) #2
Isomorphic Mimicry: Tactile Paving, Jakarta
This is poverty, Jakarta edition
God’s Servant [Jakarta edition]
Zen Hae on cross-pollination, imitation and innovation in Indonesian Peranakan literature
Guerrilla taxis and the revolution in your pocket (JakartaLives)