Garuda Indonesia Colours Magazine June 2016 | Page 84

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Explore | Flavours

unique language and culture, with traditions
in music and food distinct from the nearby
Sundanese and Javanese.
In terms of the flavour profile of its myriad
dishes, Betawi cuisine is actually similar
to the Peranakan cuisine of the Malay
peninsula. Contrary to the famous adage,
in Betawi cuisine it seems too many cooks
in the kitchen don’t spoil the broth;
actually, they improve it, culling from
rich ethnic influences to be fused into
unique hybrid dishes.
Take semur jengkol for example. The
infamous pungent Indonesian pea is stewed
using a traditional Dutch cooking technique.
The word semur derives from the Dutch word
smoor, which means a dish of onion and
tomato cooked over low heat. The dark
brown semur jengkol dish is spiced with
onions, garlic, candlenut, pepper, brown
sugar, sweet soy sauce and daun salam.

Roti buaya (literally ‘crocodile bread’) is
unmistakeably of European origin. The
simple, sugary sweet bread in the shape
of a crocodile is a must-have for traditional
Betawi weddings. Why a crocodile bread
for weddings? Betawi people believe that
crocodiles are monogamous and, therefore,
a symbol of fidelity.
Gabus pucung is another Betawi signature
dish. The stew is made from snakehead
murrel fish (now a rare treat due to limited
supply). The main ingredient of the stew is
pucung (black nut), lending the dish a similar
taste and colour to rawon (black nut beef
stew), a popular dish from East Java.
Sayur bebanci is another classic, but it’s hard
to find in modern Jakarta. Fortunately, it’s
undergoing something of a revival as of late.
It is made of beef and coconut milk, spiced
with shallots, garlic, fennel, turmeric powder,
ginger and galangal. It boasts a strong
flavour. The spices used reflect Middle
Eastern seasoning, the coconut milk
santan is of Malay influence, and the
beef stew method is likely Chinese.
Opt for a traditional Betawi beverage
to wash down your Betawi meal. Bir pletok
is a traditional non-alcoholic beer. Really
it’s more like a kind of tea made from various
herbs and spices, including red ginger,
lemongrass, black pepper, secang wood
and cinnamon – all of which promote good
health. This revitalising elixir is said to
be the Betawi answer to European beer.
There are numerous Betawi dishes – deepfried, stir-fried, barbecued, braised, pickled,
spicy, sweet, sour and salty – enough to write
several volumes of cookbooks. But rather
than read about how delicious they are,
let your taste buds do the exploring with
the swathes of Betawi cuisine on offer
throughout the month-long celebration
of Jakarta’s anniversary.
The mildly spicy and highly snackable omelette kerak
telor is ever present through the month-long Jakarta
anniversary festivities.
Nasi ulam consists of steamed rice with aromatic herbs
topped with various savoury sides, such as dendeng
(beef), egg, fried tempe and, of course, kerupuk.

© epa european pressphoto agency b.v. / Alamy Stock Photo; © Gunawan Kartapranata

There are numerous Betawi dishes – deep-fried,
stir-fried, barbecued, braised, pickled, spicy, sweet, sour
and salty – enough to write several volumes of cookbooks.
But rather than read about how delicious they are,
let your taste buds do the exploring...