Food (Week 3)

Indonesian cuisine

Indonesia is a country with very rich culture and traditions, or in this case, foods. If I have to list down the top five or ten must-try Indonesian foods, it would take me days to consider which foods to suggest. But if I was asked to name the most delicious foods in five minutes, I would easily name hundreds of them

Rendang

Rendang is the food that every Indonesian would suggest people to try. Originated from the Minangkabau Region in West Sumatra, the food is a spicy meat dish made from meat that is cooked slowly in coconut milk and spice mixture. The process of making this dish can take up to six hours. In 2011, Rendang was ranked #1 on CNN International’s World’s 50 Most Delicious Foods: Reader’s Pick List.

Soto Betawi

In Indonesian food, soto is a term used for many different types of soup originating from across the country – and just about every region has their own version of soto. Out of all the soto‘s I have tried, this one is my favorite. Soto Betawi is a traditional food of Jakarta. While most people prefer meat in the soto, I personally prefer the soto with beef innards, such as intestines, tripe, and lung. The soup itself is made from coconut milk, mixed with regular milk and various type of spices.

Sate Ayam

Sate is one of the most famous Indonesian dishes. The dish is made from meat on thin bamboo skewers, and grilled on an open charcoal fire. While the type of meat varies from beef, lamb, snakes, and others, the ayam (chicken) version is the most common one. Sate Ayam or Chicken Satay is served with loads of peanut sauce and either rice or rice cake.

Konro is a beef ribs dish originated from Makassar, South Sulawesi. While the original version of konro is served as a soup, the grilled version of it suits my taste bud more. The grilled konro is beef ribs that is marinated in spices similar to the soup version, such as coriander seeds, galangal, tamarind, and many more. It is commonly served with a spicy peanut sauce.

Es Cendol

Cendol (or dawet) is an iced sweet dessert that is originated from Central and East Java territory. The dessert is consisted of green rice flour jelly, served in a mixture of coconut milk and palm sugar. Cendol can also be served with various toppings such as jackfruit, durian, and ketan item (Indonesian black sticky rice).

Bulgarian cuisine

Describing the Bulgarian cuisine using only words is impossible so you better book some tickets to enjoy our delicious food. In the meanwhile I have listed some of my personal favourites and must-try dishes:

Banitsa

Banitsa is made by layering filo pastry with a mix of sirene (Bulgarian cheese that closely resembles feta) and whisked eggs. Other ingredients like vegetables, fruits and meat can be added to the mix to refresh the traditional taste. On New Year’s eve, the banitsa is typically served with hidden fortunes inside.

Tarator

A simple, yet delicious way to refresh yourself in the summer. The summer soup is usually made of Bulgarian yoghurt, water, cucumber, salt and garlic, but it can also consist of walnuts and dill for added taste.

Shkembe Chorba

A personal favourite of mine, the shkembe chorba is a fantastic choice for a meal at any time of the day or year. It is widely considered to be a hangover remedy, which I approve. It is made of finely cut and boiled beef or pork tripe, seasoned with garlic, vinegar and hot red pepper. The soup combines perfectly with a glass (or maybe more) of beer.

Sarmi

Another personal favourite! The sarmichki are made of rice and minced meat, wrapped inside cabbage or vine leaves (depending on the season). The meal takes a lot of time to prepare and is nowadays served mostly on special occasions (unless you have a lovely grandma that is always ready to make them for you <3).

Turshia

The turshia is a common winter side dish made out of various vegetables mixed with marinade (salt, vinegar, honey, sugar and pepper). The method of preparing the dish is very complicated and involves a lot of waiting. The process takes roughly a month and in the first two weeks, the jar needs to be flipped on a daily basis. When the turshia is ready it is mandatory to enjoy it with some rakia (Bulgarian alcohol).