Indische Keuken / Indonesische

Indonesian food is usually hot and spicy. Some dishes are accompanied by a red chili paste called sambal. A spicy peanut sauce is used as a dressing for salads, satay (skewered strips of grilled meat) or gado gado (cold vegetable salad).

Indonesians enjoy creamy avocado juice and clear, sweet, perfumed Java tea. Cendol is a drink made with brown sugar, jackfruit, gelatin, coconut milk and the juice of a pandana leaf. Kopi tubruk(literally, "collision coffee") is prepared by pouring boiling water onto ground coffee.

A wide range of fruit is found in Indonesia, including durian, star fruit, salak, rambutan, mango, mangosteen and papaya. In some areas people eat dog meat, mice, eels, roasted lizards or tretis (partially digested grass from a cow's stomach).

When Indonesian families invite guests to a meal, they prepare more food than can possibly be eaten. Guests wait to be invited to eat by the host. They do not eat everything offered by their host, because if they finish all the food offered, it means that they are not satisfied and want more.

All the dishes are brought to the table at once. Everyone has rice and then takes a portion from each of the other dishes. In rural areas, everyone sits in a circle on the floor and food is placed on a mat in the centre. Some Indonesians use their fingers to eat.

In cities and towns, Indonesians sometimes get a quick meal from a kaki lima vendor or at a warung. The kaki lima is a pedestrian walkway where vendors sell food from carts to passersby. They often cook meals for customers upon request. A warung is an open-air eatery with a bench for seating. Many are found in the night markets of Indonesia's cities. Padang restaurants serve very large meals, consisting of 10 to 25 highly spiced dishes.