Jakarta (ANTARA) – Soto, one of the archipelago’s typical foods which is popular and much sought after by almost all Indonesian people.
Soto is a culinary soup containing small pieces of meat and vegetables, and served with warm white rice. The meat most often used is beef and chicken, but some also use pork and goat.
Apart from its delicious taste, soto is easy to find in various places, from street food to restaurants. In fact, soto has been around for centuries.
Also read: Soto buffalo and lentog get approval as typical Kudus food
Also read: Eid recipe – Soto Betawi with milk sauce
History of soto
It is said that soto comes from food influenced by Peranakan Chinese. Launching Indonesia.go.id, according to historian Denys Lombard, the presence of soto originated from a popular dish around the 19th century from China called Caudo or Jao To.
According to the Hokkien dialect, caudo or jao to it means ‘grass’ offal or spiced offal. Lombard estimates that this food first became popular in Semarang around the 19th century. Apart from that, there are also other researchers who argue that soto comes from the word Shao Du or Sao Tu which means cooking offal.
Nevertheless, these two opinions still have the same meaning regarding the culinary processing process of soto, which at that time was made from offal or animal entrails which were rich in broth (fat) and fragrant spices.
In the social conditions of the 19th century, soto was known as a typical ready-to-eat and ready-to-deliver food for lower middle class people.
At that time, soto was considered an unhygienic and fatty menu by upper middle class people who were very concerned about the quality and hygienic level of food. In fact, making a culinary recipe for soto was not outlined in the cookbooks that were popular at the end of the 19th century.
In the beginning, sellers of this soto always used poles, sold by native workers and could always be found in busy places such as intersections or markets.
As time went by, it was no longer borne and turned into a shop or food stall. No longer known as a culinary dish for the lower middle class, in 1967 soto was included in the Mustika Rasa recipe book in accordance with the ideas of the 1st President of the Republic of Indonesia, Soekarno.
Regardless of its origins, the Chinese influence in making soto can be seen from the filling ingredients such as noodles, vermicelli or vermicelli, boiled eggs, bean sprouts, meat/offal, fried garlic, the use of duck spoons and Chinese ceramic soup bowls.
Soto was originally found mostly on the north coast of Central Java, especially in trading and port cities such as Tegal, Pekalongan, Semarang and Kudus. As a result of this trade, soto also emerged from other areas outside the north coast of Central Java.
Now, various regions in Indonesia have their own special soto with different spices and names. Here are several types of soto in Indonesia:
Also read: Enjoy the legendary soto tangkar menu in Jakarta
Soto Lamongan
This Soto Lamongan is characterized by delicious koya powder and yellow sauce. Koya powder is made from a mixture of fried onions and shrimp crackers. The contents of Soto Lamongan generally consist of cabbage, vermicelli and shredded free-range chicken, and is usually served with warm rice.
Soto Betawi
Soto, which originates from Jakarta, is made with a mixture of coconut milk or milk and additional spices such as cloves, cardamom and nutmeg. As for the contents, Betawi soto consists of meat and offal, and is served with warm rice and emping.
Holy soup
Soto Kudus, from Central Java, has a fairly clear soup with a distinctive salty and savory taste. As for the contents, this Kudus soto consists of sliced chicken or beef, celery, fried onions, fried garlic and bean sprouts, and is served in a smaller bowl and the sauce is separated in a different bowl.
Soto Banjar
Soto Banjar, a typical Banjarmasin soup dish served in a bowl containing sliced chicken, pieces of boiled egg and potato cakes, and eaten with ketupat.
Soto Padang
Soto Padang, a typical West Sumatran food, is made from beef stock and often adds vinegar or orange juice. Soto Padang is characterized by using dry fried beef jerky. As for the contents, this soto consists of vermicelli and potato cakes, as well as wayang red crackers.
Also read: This is an idea for preparing typical Betawi sacrificial meat, from soto to porridge
Also read: Step aside from Jakarta for a moment, enjoy Indonesian dishes
Soto Mie Bogor
Soto Mie Bogor is characterized by being served with yellow noodles. As for the filling, Soto Mie Bogor consists of pieces of beef, tripe, kikil, bean sprouts, and even risoles.
Soto Madura
Soto Madura is synonymous with a lot of fillings, such as pieces of beef and offal, boiled eggs, fried potatoes, bean sprouts, vermicelli and cabbage.
Coto Makassar
Coto Makassar has a characteristic sauce that tends to be dark brown in color and uses spices. For the filling, coto Makassar consists of pieces of beef or offal such as liver, lungs, spleen, heart, tripe, and is served with ketupat or buras (a kind of lontong) typical of South Sulawesi as a complement.
Soto Medan
Soto Medan is made from thick and tasty coconut milk sauce. For the filling, shredded chicken or beef, potato cakes, boiled eggs and bean sprouts.
Soto Solo
Soto typical of the Solo area or commonly called soto kwali has a clear sauce. As for the contents, this soto consists of beef sliced into small pieces, bean sprouts, celery and potato chips.
Also read: Soto Bandung recipe that is delicious and fresh at home
Also read: There is a Yogyakarta concoction at Soto Kesawan Medan
Also read: Betawi soto recipe without coconut milk created by Chef Devina
Reporter: Sri Dewi Larasati
Editor: Maria Rosari Dwi Putri
Copyright © ANTARA 2024
