Question from jabari

You talked about the spices used there, what is the most popular spice to put into food?


ANSWER: Indonesia is known for cloves and nutmeg and was the reason for so many ancient wars, over who would control the Spice Islands. First it was dominated by Chinese, Indian and Arab merchants then the Europeans came to Indonesia looking for cloves and nutmeg since it was widely used by women to freshen their breath, men used to put in drinks and also it was used for medicinal purposes like for the treatment of rheumatism, gout, and colic. When the Europeans arrived, Indonesia was controlled by Portuguese and they were fighting the Spaniards who were fighting the natives. Eventually everyone lost, and Indonesia was ruled by the Dutch from 1605-1945 when Indonesia gained its independence.

Indonesia taught the world the use of exotic spices and herbs. Indonesian cuisine is known for its deliberate combination of contrasting flavors (spicy, sour, sweet, hot) and textures (wet, coarse, spongy, hard). Indonesian saffron (kunyit) is used to color rice dishes an intense yellow and provide rice with spicy flavoring. Terasi, a red-brown fermented shrimp paste with a potent aroma, is used in small amounts in most sauces. It's considered absolutely essential to a successful rijstaffel (smorgasboard). There are many kinds of hot chili pastes (sambal) invariably made from red chilies, shallots, and tomatoes. So, really there really isn't just one popular spice that's used in Indonesia, it's the combination of the spices that give Indonesian dishes their unique flavor.