Jakarta (ANTARA) – There are various ways you can celebrate the 77th Anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Indonesia, which was originally celebrated with great joy every August 17th. Without reducing the solemnity of the commemoration, enjoying Indonesian culinary delights can be a simple way to celebrate the Republic of Indonesia’s 77th anniversary.
To enjoy typical Indonesian culinary delights, people can come to Hotel Indonesia Kempinski Jakarta, one of which serves menus from various provinces in Indonesia from 5 to 31 August 2022. Loving and consuming typical Indonesian culinary delights is of course in line with the spirit of our nation’s Independence Day in the context of preserving culture and traditions.
Not just any typical Indonesian food with predictable flavors that can cause boredom for those who enjoy it, but in the 2022 independence edition, culinary connoisseurs can explore different dishes from all over the country without having to travel to each destination. In fact, you can directly taste ancient dishes that were usually enjoyed by previous kings, who once led regions in various corners of the country.
Here are some special menu dishes with authentic flavors that are becoming increasingly rare, but can be used as an encouragement to celebrate Indonesian Independence.
Timbungan Duck
Bebek Timbungan is a culinary delight from Bali whose existence is increasingly “rare”. Therefore, classic Balinese culinary delights require a cooking process that takes quite a long time, with an average time of 12 hours.
On this occasion Hotel Indonesia Kempinski Jakarta gives a modern touch to cooking methods by using sous vide namely a cooking technique that utilizes precise temperature settings using water, before the duck is cooked in bamboo to give it a soft texture and perfect taste.
According to the Executive Sous Chef of the Kempinski Hotel Indonesia, Heri Purnama to ANTARA, Thursday (9/8), the duck dish which was usually served specifically to the previous kings in Bali and was only available during ritual ceremonies, had to be done over low heat so that it had a delicious taste. which is very distinctive with special tenderness.
“This Timbungan duck is only served in traditional Balinese ceremonial rituals, which are now almost extinct because the cooking process takes a long time depending on the type of duck used so that the texture of the dish has a special tenderness.” said Chef Heri.
Naniura Salmon
This food, which was specifically served only to Batak kings, can now be enjoyed by anyone. This traditional Batak dish originating from the Toba region, North Sumatra has a delicious taste so that all Batak people want to eat and make it.
This dish, with a soft texture and rich in spices, is served with a special touch, namely using fresh Salmon instead of raw Goldfish as is common in Na’niura dishes. In the cooking process itself, the salmon is coated with kaffir lime seasoning, kecombrang flower, roasted turmeric, chili and Andaliman spice or what is known as Batak pepper, one of the spices that traces the historical journey of Indonesian spices on the world spice map.
Executive Assistant Manager Food and Beverage Hotel Indonesia Kempinski, Jakarta Mauro Miller Bellodi on Friday (5/8) revealed that these classic spices are still quite easy to find in traditional Indonesian markets, of course this makes it easier for consumers to chef to make the food taste as authentic as possible.
“Tips can find every spice in many markets, and what is most surprising and makes it hard for us to believe, is that these traditional spice products give us a lot of knowledge about the history of Indonesian spices from generation to generation, so that the authenticity of the recipes can continue to be maintained,” said Mauro.
Even though it tastes spicy, chef The Italian admitted that this dish was very friendly to foreign tongues, which are generally very sensitive to spicy tastes.
Pa’piong Chicken
Another Indonesian dish that has its own story is Pa’piong. Originally, this delicious culinary delight from Tana Toraja used pork which was then put into large bamboo sticks and grilled over burning embers for two hours for the cooking process until perfectly cooked.
However, so that the Muslim community in Indonesia can enjoy it, the dish served at the Sigantures Hotel Indonesia Kempinski restaurant uses chicken mixed with Mayana leaves, ginger, grated coconut and basil leaves in its presentation.
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“As a form of the best that we can offer to Indonesia, as an international standard restaurant, we serve a rare menu of traditional Indonesian dishes with criteria for spices and recipes that mix and match the concept of transformation, just like a mother’s cooking that her children miss when they go home. .” Mauro said to ANTARA.
According to Mauro, Pa’piong is usually served at big events and traditional ceremonial rituals such as Rambu Solok or the ceremony of sending someone’s body to burial which is held at a big party.
Grilled Goat
A king’s meal is not only a treat served specifically for kings, but can also be a rite for the subjects (people) to gain the king’s blessing. It is said that in the past the nobles and their followers gave various gifts to the kings in the form of special meals from the cooks.
One of the special dishes is goat meat, which is said to be a symbol of prosperity for the Land of Java. Prosperity is what supports the entire civilization and culture of the palace of the Javanese kings, including its culinary variety. Chef Heri said that even though goat meat is easy to find on the street, the tenderness of the meat and the savory spices that can be enjoyed in every layer of the meat fibers can give a special impression to those who enjoy it.
“After coating the goat with selected spices, we roast it over low heat for approximately 5-6 hours so that the texture of the meat is very soft. “Sous vide is cooking by placing the goat in a plastic vacuum and then cooking it at a low temperature until it reaches the perfect doneness,” said Chef Heri.
Wagyu Se’i Beef
Se’i is a typical dish from the people of Rote N’dao, Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara. Se’i comes from the Rote language which means meat sliced thinly lengthwise. This typical Kupang smoked meat also has a special meaning for Kempinski because it was served at a special moment at the Presidential Palace and received praise from the president.
“I remember we served this menu at the Presidential Palace some time ago. We deliberately made it again because he (President Joko Widodo) really liked it. “We deliberately offer the meat of choice, namely wagyu, at this special moment because we want all customers to be able to try it, not just the Presidential circle,” explained Mauro to ANTARA.
Merdeka Cake
The dessert menu that should not be missed after enjoying various ancient dishes from kings throughout the archipelago is Merdeka Cake. Even though this cake is not a dessert that was served to ancient kings, this red and white cake is inspired by the colors of the flag of the Republic of Indonesia.
Mauro explained, Merdeka cake was deliberately made as the star of the menu at the celebration of Indonesia’s 77th Independence Day, because of its beautiful appearance which is expected to amaze culinary connoisseurs out there. Moreover, this Merdeka cake can be a menu that is friendly to healthy lifestylers and is required to be free of sugar and other ingredients to complement a healthy lifestyle.
