Indonesia Food & Eating Guide

Food & Eating Guide

Indonesian food is an exotic blend combining the culinary influences Chinese, Indian, Portuguese and Dutch cuisines. Eating in Indonesia is generally inexpensive and usually safe, but travelers should use common sense when eating off the beaten tourist path.

Most local cuisines favour the use of ginger, garlic and fresh turmeric to add spice and flavor rather than chilies. However, the Padang from Sumatra, specialise in very spicy food .

Internationally famous dishes such as nasi goreng (fried rice) and mie goreng (fried noodles)—are usually more sweet than spicy, whilst Cap cai, a Chinese-inspired chop suey of vegetables served with rice, is widely available and easy on the palate. Gado-gado (mixed vegetables) is also a popular dish with a mildly spicy peanut dipping sauce. Satay (skewers of various grilled meats) are also served with a spicy peanut sauce or the local sweet soy sauce, kecap manis. Soups are very popular. There is a huge variety of Indonesian food hardly ever seen outside of the country, so visitors are free to explore and discover the many different tastes this diverse country has to offer.

For the budget minded, street stalls offer a wide range of simple and basic food, with many also specialising in a wide variety of delicious drinks made from the many fresh tropical fruits found locally. The quality of the water used for the ice could be questionable, so if you are unsure, it may be best to miss on the ice.

There are also many options for sit-down meals ranging from simple traditional restaurants offering fine food and basic comforts, to more western style dining experiences in air conditioned restaurants. Shopping malls often offer good quality local food at reasonable prices.

Most of the cities and larger towns offer a wide selection of western style food in the form of KFC, Macdonalds and all of the other usual suspects as well as the local imitations and variants.

Generally the water in Indonesia is not potable and bottled or boiled water is recommended. Ice should also be avoided unless you are sure it has been made with clean water.

Although Indonesia is primarily populated by Muslims, alcohol is widely available, but often expensive. Local beers include, Bali Hai and Anker and Bintang, whilst other local drinks include Tuak (a palm sugar wine), Arak (a distilled spirit version of Tuak), and the Balinese sweet rice wine Brem. The legal drinking age in Indonesia is 18, and public displays of drunkenness are frowned upon and may result in becoming a victim of crime or even arrest.