Living on the edge 

Cultural snippet on food and drinks misconception in Indonesia

Rich in Flavour

A country rich with spices and aromatics, strong flavours are fundamental to Indonesians palate. No tea is too sweet, no meal is too salty. In the past, the perfect balance of rich flavors was achieved through skilled craftmanship in the kitchen, whereas the modern day flavor-richness are often achieved through the excessive use of artificial additives and sugar.

The key lies in the Portion

A country rich with spices and aromatics, strong flavours are fundamental to Indonesians palate. No tea is too sweet, no meal is too salty. In the past, the perfect balance of rich flavors was achieved through skilled craftmanship in the kitchen, whereas the modern day flavor-richness are often achieved through the excessive use of artificial additives and sugar.


It is tradition to have many options

In a Padang restaurant, the waiter will bring you a selection of what could be dozens of dishes, stacked into the centre of your table, where you can choose to eat whatever dish you want. You only pay for what you eat.






In a ‘Warung Tegal’ or ‘Warteg’ is a shop that specifically sells all-time Javanese favourites, made up of a wide array of pre-cooked dishes that are arranged in a glass-windowed cupboard. They are well known for selling modestly-priced meals, popular among the working class.

Eating is a social activity

One would rarely find a one-person dinner, as eating is such a communal experience in Indonesia. Food are often served in the center of the table and is to be eaten together. It is considered impolite to refuse any kind of food that is offered by others.








A feature of rice and an assortment of dishes, including fried chicken, fried salted fish, fried tempeh, fried tofu, and fried vegetable fritters, served on top of a banana leaf spread. This is a welcome meal from the Sundanese culture.

Snack doesn’t count

Indonesians love to snack, and snack-sellers can be found in every corner of the street. Snacking gives people an excuse to socialize, and it serves as a necessary filler between the “larger” meals they’ll have throughout the day.  People eat when they’re hungry, but resort to snacks when they want to have some “taste” in their mouth

                                               

Cilok
Flour dou

An Indonesian snack made with a blend of all-purpose flour and tapioca flour, ground toasted dried shrimp, thinly sliced scallions, grated garlic, and seasoned with salt, sugar, and ground white pepper.

Es Doger
Fritters
An Indonesian coconut milk-based shaved ice beverage pinkish in color that is often served as a dessert, served with red tapioca pearls (‘pacar cina merah delima’), avocados, fermented cassava (‘tapai’), black glutinous rice (‘ketan hitam’), jackfruit, diced bread and all topped off with condensed

Gorengan
Fritters

People love their high-calorie classic fried snacks made of various ingredients coated with flour batter.  Normally, it covers tofu, tempeh, bananas, or springrolls. It comes in sweet and savory varieties to eat on its own, or as side dishes.It can be found anywhere, from street carts to hawkers.

“I snack on Okky Jellys when I’m hungry... Yes, they are good for stave off hunger. It’s not bad because you can feel full after consuming three cups of it...”

-Yulita Septianti*, now living with diabetes

Advertising is still, and has always been, a credible source of information for many Indonesians. Through consistent messaging, information presented at face-value is immediately taken as fact, and a basis for many lifestyle decisions. With lax advertising regulations and a knack for creativity, advertisers often emphasize the “healthy” properties of unhealthy products, which the masses tend to easily fall for.





Okky Jelly
A jelly drink which positions itself as  a combination of a drink and snack, advertised as “drink that keeps your hunger at bay.”

Healthy with a lot of sugar
An isotonik drink branded composed of rich vitamins and electronics, light fruity flavor and a refreshing taste. Mizone positions itself as an “everyday restoration drink”, replenishing youths, making them feel like they can take on the rest of their day.

What is real and not
Condensed milk is cow’s milk with 60% of its water removed, often found with sugar added. A lot of Indonesians believe that if it was mixed with water, that it would be equal to “real” milk