11 unique foods from different regions in Indonesia

This type of food is made from unique ingredients and cooked in a way that makes you wonder and  figure out what is that taste?

these are unique, traditional foods :

1. Ampiang dadiah - Minangkabau

Dadiah is fermented buffalo milk in bamboo shaft, covered by banana leaves or hibiscus leaves. Stored at room temperature for 2-3 days.
Ampiang dadiah contains : Dadiah , grated coconut , brown rice crackers and palm sugar .

2. Gule pli’u : rotten coconut ( Aceh )

There is nothing strange about gule (curry), gule pli'u is made from:

• papaya, 
• young jack-fruit, 
• Chu,( Chu,  are snails found in local rivers), 
• then coconut pulp, and 
• local herbs called sunti acid. (belimbing wuluh a kind of Indonesian fruit are added salted, then steamed, dried in the sun 3 days or oven 2 hours). 

This dish is served hot and eaten with white rice.

3. Tempoyak - South Sumatra

Many people don’t like Durian because its smell. But what if fermented durian? Tempoyak mostly found in South Sumatra (Malay) . The smell and sour taste of tempoyak is attracting people to try this food.

4. Ares ( Lombok ) – Sasak etnic tribe

Maybe often hear about food made from banana. But what happens if the food is made ​​from banana stalk? Well this Ares is a traditional food of Sasak etnic tribe. This food is only made ​in special occasion. Ares will be more delicious if it is eaten with rice which a bit hard.

5. Lema/ Lemeah ( Bengkulu ) - Rejang etnic tribe

Foods which made of Rebung (young bamboo less than 1 meter height) are easy to find in Indonesia . But what makes lemeah different is the way of processing, Rebung is chooped and mixed with freshwater fish then fermented for 2-3 days . it is used in many kind of traditional recipes including sambal Lemeah.

6. Nasi jaha ( Manado ) - North Sulawesi

Nasi Jaha (ginger rice) is made from beras ketan (glutinous rice), flavored with ginger, precipitated using coconut milk, put it inside a bamboo and baked in the embers of a fire.

7. Buntil

This food is easily found in many places in Indonesia, made from anchovy mixed with grated coconut wrapped in taro leaves or cassava leaves or papaya leaves with spicy coconut milk.

8. Papeda + sauteed papaya flowers (Maluku)

Sticky and clear sago porridge which is served with sauteed papaya flowers.

9. Sambal Terasi - West Java, Sunda etnic tribe

Terasi is salted fish/ shrimp which heated and fermented using yeast to make some distinctive taste. Terasi usually used to make chili paste containing chili, onion, garlic, and seasoned terasi then finely ground. It served as an additional foo that almost never missed in every dish.

10. Sayur Lompong (taro stems)

Lompong is taro leave. For this kind of food usually use type of Lompong from Bogor, and sayur Lompong is taro stem cooked in a spicy coconut milk.

11. Semur jengkol

Jengkol (Archidendronpauciflorum) is a species of flowering tree in the pea family, Fabaceae, that is native to Souteast Asia. Despite its strong smell, the beans are a popular food in Indonesia. It’s contains jengkolat acid and has very distinctive smell. For semur jengkol it’s cooked in red spicy seasoning. Be prepared for horrible smell on your toilet in a day . Oops !