Sate, it’s a name for Indonesian culinary made from sheep or goat’s meat. Many people like this diet very much.

Above is the picture of Sate.

When the chef cook sate, the smell of the burning meat really make my stomach hungry. It can’t wait any longer to taste it.

Cake that one of its materials is banana is growing on demand lately. Although not a banana-producing areas, Batam has a banana cake called Kek Pisang as the typical souvenirs that is popular enough. I wonder how delicious this kek pisang is?

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Batam is an island that is very strategic because it is located in the international shipping lane. So, no wonder the island of Batam be one of the local tourist destination and tourists are that is quite popular abroad beside the island of Bali.

Besides its natural beauty, Batam island is also famous for seafood and a culinary called otak-otak that will shake the tongue. Although, it is not much souvenir that can be carried back from the island but visiting Batam will really amusing.

Around the year 2006 kek pisang go on sale in Batam. Kek Pisang is not actually popularized by the original Batam residents. But apparently this banana-based cake with  other ingredients such as flour, egg, sugar, and margarine is the admiration of many people including tourists.

Kek  Pisang sticky has sweet taste and its texture similar to spongecake but more dense. The delicious banana mixture to make good sensation on the tongue so that the mouth could not stop chewing. Kek pisang is recently available in many taste modifications such as butter, cheese topping, or chocolate spread.

Keke Pisang photo by merpati66

Now there are about 12 variants of Kek Pisang sold in original taste, strawberry, cheese, chocolate fla, blueberry, mocha, etc.. The most popular brand for kake pisang is “Kek Pisang Villa” and “Nay@Dam”.

For a small box of   Kek Pisang valued IDR 15,000.00 while the big box valued IDR 30.000,00 – IDR 35.000,00. Well, for those that would make a trip to Batam just do not forget to buy Kek Pisang!
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Martabak Terang Bulan Photo

Visiting Sekaten at Jogjakarta, I’m interested in the traditional Javanese food that are sold. There are so many food stalls at the fair, just like ants encircling a grain of sugar. They are in a row of the street’s edge, try to serve the best food they have. Sound of stoves is familiar to my ear. They just give me a sign that the stalls are very busy serving the buyers and adding the stocks.

Traditional Donut

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Food stalls are making the food directly on the location, so it is served hot and freshly.  They make the same kind of snacks every year. But, the buyers seem not bored to eat them. The name of the foods are martabak, terang bulan, ondhe-ondhe, donat, tahu goreng, galundeng, pisang molen and cak we.

Ondhe-ondhe

The taste is sweet for terang bulan, ondhe-ondhe, galundeng and pisang molen. The rest is salty. The foods are sold at affordable price, they are cheap. The price is about IDR 500 for a piece.

Martabak Photo by Deka

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‘It is rainy season. The temperature is rather cold to night. I need something to warm my body.’ ‘Do you need a jacket or a blanket?’ ‘No I don’t. I need something that warms me from the inside of my body.  Well, I need a drink.’ ‘A drink? Something with alcohol?’ ‘No, I need a drink that make me warm and stay healthy.’ ‘I know exactly what you need, let’s go find wedang Ronde!’

Wedang Ronde is a traditional Javanese drink served in a bowl, which is very helpful when the weather is cold. From the words, wedang is a Javanese language means a drink, ronde is the name for the main part of the drink. This kind of drink uses ginger as its ingredient. To get the merit, ginger is boiled in the water, along with other substances. As it has ginger, it will warm anybody who drinks it.  The taste is sweet but rather hot.

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The substances of Wedang Ronde are ginger, citronella, brown sugar, salt, peanuts, the fruits of the sugar palm, and ronde (rice flour balls). The ronde itself is made from sticky rice. In the middle of the ball shaped ronde there is a mixture of brown sugar and peanuts. The peanut is heated in utensil without oil or water. The best utensil is earthen pot.

We can find Wedang ronde at Yogyakarta such as Alun-alun Utara, Alun-alun Selatan, Godean market, Malioboro street, etc. People specifically sell it with a cart. The price for a bowl of wedang ronde is about IDR 3000.

Indonesia is rich of tourism places and delicious food. The place and food is a unity, as every place offer its own menu. Here, I want to talk about duck meat not in the restaurant but on the street food stall. It is a guide for backpackers to find a place to eat in Yogyakarta.

Some place offer different way in cooking duck such as fried, roasted as setae or curried. A few days ago, I have the opportunity to taste fried duck at two different places: Bebek cak Koting and Bebek Mbah Wongso.  Those two-food stalls are specialized in cooking duck that is called ‘bebek’ in Bahasa Indonesia.

Well, let us go to the first place at Bebek Cak Koting. The place is on Jl. Dr. Sutomo, Lempuyangan, Yogyakarta under the Jembatan Layang or flyover. The menu here is fried and roasted duck. I prefer fried duck at that time. The price is IDR 16,000 for the duck and IDR 2,000 for a plate of rice. The fried duck is tasty enough, as I can taste its spices. In addition, the meat is soft inside and crispy outside. The crispy fried flavored flour is completing the taste. Dish of raw vegetables like cabbage, basil and cucumber accompany the duck and chili condiment gives a biting taste. Overall, it has good taste but higher price.

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The second place is Bebek Wongso at Jl. Godean before the Giant Supermarket. The duck size is similar to the first place but it has lower price, for only IDR 9,000 and similar price for the rice. The taste is less tasty than the first duck, as it more salty. The meat is not softer than the first food stall. Overall, the first stall is better in taste. However, this stall has a plus. It gives more vegetable for the dish. The dish consists of papaya leaf, basin, cabbage and cucumber. The chili condiment is also better in taste.

I suggest Bebek Wongso for backpackers that price does matter, as it has lower price but not too bad for the taste. If you spend IDR 25,000, you will get two fried duck, a plate of rice and two glass of ice tea.

Photo credit: Deka ~ Discover-Indonesia.com

Great, Indonesia is rich of traditional culinary. Every province has its own food so that tourism in Indonesia is not merely visiting places but also taste the local food. Beside Ketoprak, Jakarta has a classic traditional food called Kerak Telor (Egg Crust). This kind of food exists from many years ago since Jakarta was named Batavia.

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Kerak is basically rice crust that is adhering to the pot. The main substances for Kerak Telor are egg and rice. Those substances are for the crust which is rather crispy on its edge. The additional substances are butter, cooked shredded meat, fried onion, cheese, chopped meat or anything else that makes it more tasty and luxurious.

Photo credit: Deka ~ Discover-Indonesia.com

To make Kerak Telor the first step is making the crust. Using small pan, the rice is half cooked, and then an egg is added. The next step is pouring other substances into the pan one by one. It uses pan to make the food thin and circular. After a while the food is ready to be served. Accompanied by a cup of java coffee is the best way to enjoy ‘egg crust’.

Photo credit: Deka ~ Discover-Indonesia.com

Where to buy Kerak Telor?

Kerak telor are sold specifically at the tourism places in Jakarta such as Dunia Fantasi, Ancol and Taman Mini Indonesia Indah. The price is vary depend on the substances. Generally, it cost for about IDR9000 less than a dollar (US$). In other city it usually sold on the fair.

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The southern coast of Java Island hides gold to be explored. The beauty of the nature and the interesting people and culture should not be neglected. All of it awaits to be touched, a touch that will make it alive.

Yogyakarta has beaches on a line from the east to the west coast. It has untouched beaches such as Baron, Kukup, Krakal, Sepanjang, Drini, Sundak, Siung, Ngobaran and many more. With their own typical, the beaches offer different interest from each other.

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Photo Credit: Deka~Discover-Indonesia.com

Enjoy fresh seafood at Baron Beach

Baron beach is about 50 kilometers to the south of Yogyakarta. It is on Gunung Kidul, a Regency known with its traditional food called Thiwul. In the beach, we can enjoy the beautiful view and enjoy fresh sea food that is cooked by order. The fishes available there are crabs, lobster, tuna, cuttlefish, sharks and many more. The price is relatively cheap, for crab is IDR40.000 per kilogram. If we want the fish cooked there is additional charge IDR10.000.

Photo Credit: Deka~Discover-Indonesia.com

If you love to cook, you may ask to cook yourself. But don’t be shocked if there are no modern stove or oven. The cooks are cooking using traditional charcoal stove. People believe if the charcoal will give the fish more tasty.

Photo Credit: Deka~Discover-Indonesia.com

How to get there

Simply get a bus from Yogyakarta to Wonosari. At Wonosari bus station take a bus to Baron beach. After 3.00 PM there will be no buses, so you should plan the tour well.

Photo Credit: Deka~Discover-Indonesia.com

Jakarta has many specific foods like Kerak Telor and Ketoprak. Those foods are today can be found in many places in Indonesia.

In Central Java and Yogyakarta, Ketoprak is not the name of a food, it is a performance art like drama. It uses Javanese language in the dialog and song. The Gamelan is escorting the play.

Ketoprak Jakarta is a food traditionally consists of  lontong (food consisting of rice steamed in a banana leaf), tofu, sliced cabbage, mihun (thin rice noodles), sprout, chips and sauce made from bean, brown sugar and chili. The taste can be hot or salty, it just made by order. The price is about IDR5.000 to 10.000 according to its substances. Today meat is commonly added in ketoprak to be more luxurious.
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Photo credit: Deka

We can find ketoprak at restaurants and street food stall. In Yogyakarta it can be found at Gajah Mada University complex, precisely along the boulevard park.

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