Indonesian cuisine has as much to offer as its other South-East Asian counterparts, such as Thailand. A trip to Jakarta, Indonesia’s capital city, had us exploring several street food stalls and restaurants tucked away in the busy thoroughfares of the market places and city streets.
There are lots of options to choose from, as far as traditional Indonesian fare goes. Most traditional food here is indigenous but there is also quite a lot of influence from other cuisines, primarily due to trade relations. For example, the oxtail soup is believed to have originated in Spitalfields, London in the 17th Century, courtesy French Huguenots and Flemish immigrants, using the tails of animals.
We chanced upon an indigenous soup in one such dimly-lit establishment. A cross between a soup and a stew, the traditional oxtail soup or sop buntut, as it is called locally, is not only popular in Indonesia but also in South-East Asia.
One look at the barbecued (or fried if you like it) oxtail combined with soup, and you are tempted to dig in. It is a perfect fusion of two completely different cuisines. Upon enquiring, we learn that oxtail is marinated in spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg and clove, and kept aside for several hours. It is then cooked in beef broth with vegetables such as carrots, tomatoes, and fried shallots. The soup is seasoned with ginger, sweet soy sauce, sambal (an indigenous chilli paste), and lime. The oxtail fat melts into the soup, making it even more flavoursome.
Although mildly spicy, this dish that makes an easy-downer is a melting pot of various flavours. Often the starter in an Indonesian meal, it is quite common to see people asking for seconds of the delicious broth. Sop Buntut is typically served with steamed rice. It is comfort food at its best and believed to be good for health and great for the skin.