Indonesia is known for its diverse and delicious cuisine. Every region in Indonesia has its own unique dishes with distinct flavors and ingredients. One of the regions that are famous for its cuisine is Jawa Timur or East Java. Jawa Timur is located in the eastern part of Java Island and has a diverse culinary tradition. Here are some of the characteristics of Jawa Timur’s traditional cuisine.
1. Rich in Spices
One of the hallmarks of Jawa Timur’s cuisine is its rich and complex spices. Jawa Timur’s cuisine is known for its strong and bold flavors that come from a variety of spices such as tamarind, turmeric, coriander, cumin, and ginger. These spices give Jawa Timur’s dishes a unique and delicious taste that is different from other regions in Indonesia.
2. Use of Fresh Ingredients
Jawa Timur’s cuisine emphasizes the use of fresh and high-quality ingredients. The region’s fertile soil and tropical climate make it an ideal place for growing various kinds of vegetables, fruits, and herbs. Jawa Timur’s dishes often use fresh ingredients such as lemongrass, galangal, chili, and shallots. These ingredients add a fresh and aromatic flavor to Jawa Timur’s cuisine.
3. Variety of Dishes
Jawa Timur’s cuisine has a wide variety of dishes that range from savory to sweet. Some of the popular savory dishes include sate kelapa, rawon, tahu campur, and rujak cingur. Sate kelapa is a skewered chicken or beef that is marinated in coconut milk and spices. Rawon is a beef soup that has a black color because of the use of kluwek nut. Tahu campur is a mixed tofu dish with vegetables and peanut sauce. Rujak cingur is a salad dish that consists of various fruits and vegetables, with cingur (boiled cow nose) as the main ingredient. On the other hand, some of the popular sweet dishes include klepon, onde-onde, and lapis legit. Klepon is a sweet glutinous rice cake filled with palm sugar and coated with grated coconut. Onde-onde is a deep-fried glutinous rice ball filled with mung bean paste. Lapis legit is a layered cake made of butter, eggs, and spices.
4. Influence of Chinese Cuisine
Jawa Timur’s cuisine has been influenced by Chinese cuisine because of the region’s history and its proximity to China. Some of Jawa Timur’s dishes that have Chinese influence include bakso, mie ayam, and lumpia. Bakso is a meatball soup that is similar to Chinese meatball soup. Mie ayam is a noodle soup dish with chicken, mushrooms, and vegetables that is similar to Chinese noodle soup. Lumpia is a fried spring roll filled with vegetables and meat that is similar to Chinese spring rolls.
5. Use of Local Ingredients
Jawa Timur’s cuisine often uses local ingredients that are unique to the region. For example, petis udang is a shrimp paste that is widely used in Jawa Timur’s cuisine. The shrimp paste has a sweet and savory taste and is often used as a condiment or seasoning. Another unique ingredient is cingur, which is the boiled cow nose that is used in rujak cingur. Jawa Timur’s cuisine also uses various kinds of seafood such as fish, prawns, and crabs that are abundant in the region’s coastal areas.
6. Spicy and Hot
Jawa Timur’s cuisine is known for its spicy and hot flavors. The use of chili and other spices gives Jawa Timur’s dishes a fiery taste that is not for the faint-hearted. Some of Jawa Timur’s dishes that are known for their spiciness include sate kelapa, tahu campur, and sambal goreng krecek. Sate kelapa is often served with sambal (chili paste) that adds extra heat to the dish. Tahu campur is also served with sambal that gives the dish a spicy kick. Sambal goreng krecek is a dish made of fried beef skin and chili that is cooked until crispy and spicy.
7. Simple and Affordable
Jawa Timur’s cuisine is often simple and affordable. Most of the dishes are made with simple ingredients that are easy to find and cook. Jawa Timur’s cuisine is also affordable, making it accessible to everyone. Some of the popular affordable dishes include nasi pecel, nasi krawu, and nasi campur. Nasi pecel is a rice dish with vegetables and peanut sauce that is often sold in small food stalls. Nasi krawu is a rice dish with beef or mutton that is often served with empal (sweet beef jerky). Nasi campur is a mixed rice dish with various side dishes such as fried chicken, tempeh, and tofu.
Conclusion
Jawa Timur’s cuisine is a unique and delicious culinary tradition that has its own characteristics and flavors. The cuisine is known for its rich spices, use of fresh ingredients, variety of dishes, influence of Chinese cuisine, use of local ingredients, spiciness, and affordability. Jawa Timur’s cuisine is a must-try for anyone who loves Indonesian cuisine and wants to explore the diverse and rich culinary tradition of Indonesia.
