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Satay and sambal: 12 foods every Indonesian visitor needs to try
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(CNN) — As the world’s largest archipelagic nation, Indonesia is filled with different cultures and influences spread out over 1,904,569 square kilometers (735,358 square miles).
This makes it a huge challenge to try to summarize the flavors of the country in just a few paragraphs.
“Indonesian food culture is based on regional cooking among 17,500 islands, 38 provinces and 700 dialects,” says Indonesian cookbook author William Wongso.
“Flavors of Indonesia are very diverse. From Aceh (the westernmost province of Indonesia) to West Sumatra (also a western province), it’s only about a 1.5-hour flight, yet their food and taste profiles are totally different.”
The 75-year-old author of “Flavors of Indonesia: William Wongso’s Culinary Wonders.” says that even though he’s been traveling and eating around Indonesia for decades, he still hasn’t tasted every local dish.
For example, chefs in the Moluccas on the eastern side of Indonesia, once nicknamed the “Spice Islands,” prefer using fresh spices like cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon. Aceh, on the other hand, frequently incorporates dried spices thanks to the influence of India, Arabia and China.
Padang (or Minangkabau) cuisine in West Sumatra uses lots of coconut cream, chiles, shallots and some curry spices, as well as ginger and galangal with aromatic herbs such as turmeric leaves, kaffir lime leaves and lemon grass.
Javanese are experts in using the three colored spice pastes — red (made of chiles, shallots and garlic), white (candle nuts, shallots and garlic) and yellow (candlenuts, shallots, garlic and turmeric).
“The taste profile of Central Java is sweeter than Eastern Java,” added Wongso.
Ready to enjoy the overwhelming diversity of Indonesian cuisine? Here are a few dishes that offer a sample of the many delicious flavors on offer.
Rendang beef
Beef rendang is unbelievably tender. The beef is coated with dry curry that has been stewed for hours.
asab974/Adobe Stock
It isn’t an exaggeration to say that beef rendang is one of the world’s most flavorful foods.
A dry curry dish linked to the Minangkabau ethnic group, which is indigenous to West Sumatra, rendang is a great way to preserve meat — essential for the Minangkabau people during their travels.
There is no one recipe for rendang. “In West Sumatra, there are about 900 districts and each has their own style of rendang,” says Wongso.
But one of the most common meats that appear in rendang is beef. It’s stewed in coconut milk and spices including lemongrass, galangal, garlic, turmeric, ginger and chiles for hours until the meat is unbelievably tender and the curry mixture is reduced to a relatively dry coating around the meat.
Tempeh
A rising star in plant-based diets around the world, tempeh has in fact been a constant in Javanese culture for more than four centuries.
The low-fat, high-protein meat substitute is made of soybeans fermented in banana leaves — and sometimes, other leaves — for two to three days before it turns into a white, moldy and chunky block.
Its flavor is often described as nutty and mushroom-y with a slight sweet soy scent.
It can be cooked the same way as any meat — baked, fried, grilled or boiled into different dishes. In Indonesia, it’s often deep-fried and served as a tasty snack.
Satay
A staple at Southeast Asian restaurants around the world, satay — or satay in the local tongue — is said to have originated in Java.
The preparation of these skewers varies from region to region, often featuring different meats or vegetables, spices, sauces and marinades.
One of the most loved versions in Indonesia is chicken satay served with a sweet peanut sauce that has just a hint of spice.
Fried rice
Fried rice: So much more than just fried rice.
Jairson/Adobe Stock
If there’s one staple that represents Indonesia’s multi-faceted culture, it’s fried rice — literally translated as fried rice.
Each household has a different recipe made with various ingredients and sides, but the use of terasi (shrimp paste) and kecap manis (a sweet and thick Indonesian soy sauce) unite most — if not all — versions.
These condiments create Indonesian fried rice’s unique taste.
Topped with a perfect sunny-side-up egg and a side of crunchy shrimp crackers (or kerupuk), nasi goreng is a versatile meal eaten throughout the day.
A dish influenced by Chinese cooking, fried rice is as popular in Singapore and Malaysia as it is in Indonesia.
Shrimp crisp
While prawn crackers are commonly found in several countries’ diets — especially in Indonesia and Malaysia — it was thanks to Indonesia that the snack was introduced to the Dutch and then brought
Is drinking warm water the secret for glowing, healthy skin?
While scrolling social media recently, a post claiming that warm water is effective against any skin issue, and also makes it glow, caught our attention. An Instagram page Indian_Veg_Diet noted, “Medical experts say that warm water is most beneficial if there is a skin problem or to bring a natural glow to the face. In fact, in a few days, your skin will start glowing and become pimple-free too.” But, does it actually help?
To find out this very answer, we reached out to experts. Keep scrolling to know what they told us.
Dr Jaishree Sharad, a cosmetic dermatologist, told this portal that drinking warm water leads to sweating, which is a natural mechanism for releasing toxins from the body. “Warm water also improves sinus congestion by reducing puffiness or swelling around the eyes. Lukewarm water also speeds up digestion by helping better absorption of nutrients. And if the gut is clean, the skin remains clean too,” Dr Sharad said.
However, the expert added that there is very little scientific evidence of any direct benefit of drinking warm water to the skin except that it releases nasal congestion and causes “a little extra sweating which can also be obtained by other methods such as taking steam or exercising respectively”. But there is no denying the fact that warm water helps detoxify the body naturally.
“Warm water hydrates the skin, avoids dryness and flakiness, and naturally moisturises the skin, which helps the skin to glow naturally,” Dr. Rinky Kapoor, consultant dermatologist, cosmetic dermatologist and dermato-surgeon, The Esthetic Clinics told indianexpress.com.
Dr. Kapoor added that drinking warm water improves blood circulation in the body. “Proper blood flow will ensure that adequate nutrients are delivered to the skin cells, and that is how you will get healthy skin too,” he mentioned.
Gut health affects your skin too (Source: Getty Images/Thinkstock)
How much to have?
Dr Sharad went on to state that “if the gut is clean, the skin remains clean”. “When your body is dehydrated, the skin gets dehydrated and loses its turgor. So, it is important to drink about two and a half to three liters of water per day, unless you have certain kidney or heart conditions where you are not supposed to drink too much water. The upper layers of the skin do not get them water from the deeper skin cells. Instead, they draw their water from the environment. Hence it is also important to moisturise the skin along with drinking water,” said Dr Sharad.
The US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine determined that an adequate daily fluid intake is: About 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of fluids a day for men and about 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of fluids a day for women. “The amount of water that your body needs depends on the climate, your body weight, sex, and physical activity levels. Make sure you don’t overload yourself with water because too much water can lead to reduction in sodium (which helps regulate the amount of water in and around the cells) which can cause hyponatremia,” warned Dr. Sharad.
Is drinking warm water enough?
Drinking water alone may not show any results on the skin. “One has to have a healthy diet consisting of brightly colored fruits and vegetables, green leaves, zero sugar, less salt, no alcohol and no smoking. These should be coupled with exercise, and sufficient sleep,” said Dr. Sharad.
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Adele candidly tells fans to ‘order drinks’ during a Las Vegas performance
Adele urged her fans to order plenty of drinks during her Las Vegas residency, telling them they would enjoy her songs more if they were drunk.
The Grammy winner singer is currently performing on her much awaited Vegas residency. She told her audience, “Go and order some drinks… the drunker you are, the better I am.”
the Skyfall the singer also said, “I worked my absolute [expletive] off for this. I couldn’t have done that other show and you wouldn’t have liked it either, I’m telling you that.”
Adele has stayed dry, having previously made her conscious decision to never drink while working.
An insider at the time shared, quoted by Female First UK, “Adele has revised her plan for the show, has stripped it back. The production will be very classy, the show is centered on her energy and vocals.”
Adele postponed her entire Vegas residency in January, and the Easy On Me star afterward took to social media to explain the decision to her fans.
She said, “I’m so sorry, but my show ain’t ready. Half my team has COVID and it’s been impossible to finish the show.” Adele also confessed to feeling “embarrassed” about the situation. She said: “I’m sorry, it’s last minute. I’m so upset and I’m really embarrassed and I’m so sorry to everyone that’s traveled again.”