Indonesian Cuisine

Indonesian cuisine reflects the vast variety of people that live on the 6,000 populated islands that make up Indonesia. There is probably not a single "Indonesian" cuisine, but rather, a diversity of regional cuisines influenced by local Indonesian culture and foreign influences.

Throughout its history, Indonesia has been involved in trade due to its location and natural resources. Indonesia’s indigenous techniques and ingredients, at least in the Malay World parts, are influenced by India, the Middle East, China and finally Europe. Spanish and Portuguese traders brought New World produce even before the Dutch came to colonize most of Indonesia. Indonesian island of Maluku is famed as "the Spice Island" also gave contribution on the introduction of native spices to Indonesian and global cuisine. The cuisine of Eastern Indonesia is similar to Polynesian and Melanesian cuisine.

Sumatran cuisine, for example, often show their Middle Eastern and Indian influence, having curried meat and vegetables, while Javanese cuisine is rather more indigenously developed. Elements of Indonesian Chinese cuisine are seen in Indonesian cuisine: as bakmi (noodles) and bakso (meat balls) are completely assimilated.

The most popular dishes that originated in Indonesia are common across most of Asia. Popular Indonesian dishes such as satay, beef rendang, and sambals also favored in Malaysia and Singapore. Soy-based dishes, such as variations of tofu and tempe, are also very popular. Tempe is regarded as a Javanese invention, an adaptation to the loss of forests precluding hunting as a source of protein food. Indonesian meals are commonly eaten with the combination of spoon in the right hand and fork in the left hand, although in many parts of the country is also common to eat with one's hands.