Breakfast is a vital meal for energy to take on daily activities. In Indonesia, breakfast menu can vary based on culture and even regions. Sometimes tailored to the needs of everyday activities, breakfast in Indonesia is not a playing matter. Here are some traditional breakfasts that are common favorites in the Republic of Indonesia.

1. Soto

Soto is a typical Indonesian specialty, which are soups made from meat and vegetable broth. The most commonly used meat is beef and chicken, but some use pork or goat meat.

Various regions in Indonesia have different soto-style with different composition, for example soto Madura, soto pemalang, soto Lamongan, soto Semarang, soto Kudus, soto Betawi, soto Padang, soto Bandung, soto Sokaraja, soto Banjar, and coto Makassar. Soto is also given the name according to its contents, such as chicken soup, tripe soto, and goat soto. There is also a soup made from beef leg meat called Soto Sekengkel.

The way of serving Soto is also different according to the uniqueness in each region. Soto usually served with rice, lontong, ketupat, noodles, or vermicelli accompanied by various kinds of side dishes, such as crackers, cakes, chips, sambal, and peanut sauce. There will be added quail eggs, sate clams, lime, and koya.

2. Bubur Sumsum

Bubur Sumsum is a kind of white porridge made of rice flour and commonly eaten with sweet sauce made from Java sugar water.

In its presentation, ordinary Bubur Sumsum is served either as a snack at leisure time or as a memorial of a special day or celebration of a special ceremony. Some examples of the presentation of Bubur Sumsum during a special day or ceremonial celebration are red and white porridge on the day of birth of the baby. However, most Indonesians, especially Java still use it as a breakfast menu.

3. Surabaya’s Lontong Balap

Lontong is compressed rice wrapped and cooked in banana leaf. Culinary lovers must know Surabaya has a typical lontong called lontong racing. This name is somewhat unique, because lontong racing is not a brand name but the name of the dish itself. Lontong racing is a dish of lontong with soup stuffed with bean sprouts, tofu, and lento (beans cooked in a special way). For those who like a spicy flavor can add petis which is typical of lontong racing.

The most complicated cooking process in making Lontong Balap is making lento. Lento it from peanuts soaked overnight, cleaned, pounded, given seasoning salt, kencur, leaves orange, garlic, onion, and cilantro. All pounded, clenched with hands, freshly fried.

4. Ketoprak

A comfort food that is always available at all times. A great dish to start your day, Ketoprak is also a favorite choice at noon, or night time.

Ketropak is a soft lontong served with vermicelli, fresh bean sprouts, savory fried tofu, and sprinkled with peanut sauce, a squeeze of lime juice, and crackers as toppings. All of which if combined can produce miracles in the mouth. The variety of textures combined, the soft, soft, crispy all make the pengencer satisfied and full. Even this ketropak is also often used as a mandatory breakfast menu of Indonesian people.

5. Nasi Uduk

Nasi uduk is a dish made of steamed white rice with coconut milk, often eaten as breakfast amongst Indonesian people.

Nasi Uduk is seasoned by nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, lemongrass leaves, and pepper. It is usually served with fried emping, fried tofu, omelet or bacem, abon, orek tempe, fried onion and nuts. In Indonesia now there are many variations of nasi uduk that can be found. Starting from the Javanese, Sundanese, Betawi, or even Sumatra, all have variations and taste of nasi uduk.

6. Bubur Ayam

This chicken porridge dish is known as one of the top favorites within the Indonesian breakfast menu. Similar with uduk rice, Bubur Ayam also has a lot of flavor variations depending on the states.

So, chicken porridge is made from white rice mixed with water continue to be stirred until soft. This flaby rice on top is sprinkled with chicken, cakwe, soybeans, crackers, chips, onions, celery, and peppered with thick yellow-green curry sauce. If you like spicy food, you can ask for a lot of sambel from the seller. You will also be offered sate egg quail, intestine, or ati ampela. These satays are the complement of the porridge that makes it more delicious.

7. Lontong Sayur

This menu is a typical Indonesian breakfast menu, especially in the islands of Java. There are various kinds of food containing lontong in Indonesia, eg lontong sayur Medan, until Cap Gomeh lontong.

But lontong sayur consists of lontong and vegetables cooked in coconut milk with long beans. There are also lontong sayur with stuffing made of ash and papaya. Side dishes depend on your mood. The usual choice of side dishes are chicken or tofu and tempeh. With a little spicy seasoning added, lontong sayur will fill your stomach until noon!

8. Pecel

A traditional Indonesian dish that is commonly eaten as breakfast especially in East and Central Java. Pecel comes from Madiun City of East Java, made from blanches vegetables like spinach, bean sprouts, long beans, basil, turi leaf, krai (a kind of cucumber) or other vegetables served with topped with pecel peanut sauce.

The concept of a pecel dish resembles a salad for Europeans, fresh vegetables topped with mayonnaise. The different is just for the topping, while it uses pecel sauce (sambal made of chili and nuts). Do not forget the crackers and bakwan as a combination of side dishes that fit.

9. Nasi Krawu

In the area of West Java, Nasi Krawu is a good start for a good day. This dish is a mixture of rice and beef with high oil content.

Some nasi krawu are added with rempelo (intestines, tripe, etc.), cingur, even the eyes of a cow. This food does not use vegetables. Do not forget the complementary side dishes of this menu namely crackers and Sambal. A plate of krawu rice is guaranteed to make your stomach full all day.

10. Nasi Kucing

Nasi Kucing (or in Javanese is known as “segå kucing”) is not a particular menu but rather a way of serving wrapped rice mostly found in small food stalls. Named “Nasi kucing (rice for cat)” since it is served in very little portions, like cat food.

Nasi kucing is a form of rice, with various toppings such as dried tempe, teri goreng, sambal goreng, tripe, milkfish, intestine, head or chicken paw and quail eggs. Nasi Kucing is very popular among students because the price is fairly cheap and fits Indonesians’ palate.

Those are the favorite traditional breakfast dishes in Indonesia. Don’t be surprised as most of them consist of rice, since Indonesia is one of the biggest rice producer in the world!

Source: CNN