Explore | Flavours
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© otnaydur / Shutterstock ; © Arie Parikesit
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There ’ s something about soto . Jakarta must surely be the home of soto , because it is in this bustling metropolis that just about every food from across the archipelago can be found , and that ’ s because it is probably home to all 1,700 Indonesian ethnic groups . Where there are people , there is their food .
Soto is divided into two categories : the elegant clear broth type or the luscious milky type using coconut milk or , in some cases , cow ’ s milk . Soto betawi is Jakarta ’ s own brand of soto and , according to Bondan Winarno , a man who knows his makanan , Bang Husen in Manggarai dishes up just about the best , adding a generous amount of smooth , luscious coconut milk along with a secret blend of sultry spices . Small chunks of beef are wok-tossed , adding an appealing crisp-edged chewiness , and then topped with ladles of the mellow seasoned coconut milk , creating a dreamy contrast of flavours and textures . Bang Husen has been serving his famous soto for more than 20 years and has a huge following . Lunchtime is standing room only . Enjoyed with sambal , lime , krupuk and steamed rice , it ’ s comfort food par excellence .
Soto Makassar is another famous soto , from ( you guessed it ) Makassar ! A fullbodied , unctuous , slow-rolling beef broth is mixed with cooked chunks of beef , intestines and herbs against a backdrop of multilayered spices . Coto Nusantara in Makassar is legendary , and midday is wall-to-wall with just about everyone in town . Accompaniments are krupuk for crunch , sambal and slices of lime to tang up the richness of the meat . I ’ ve been told the lime cuts the cholesterol too .
Soto ayam Lamongan , from Surabaya , is topped with – get this one – koya , prawn crackers crushed up with garlic . Arie Parikesit , founder of Kelana Rasa Culinary Solutions , says this curious mix is essential for adding extra flavour and to thicken the broth . I bet crunch has a lot to do with it too . ( I ’ m wondering if Indonesians invented cornflakes .) Glass noodles , sprouts , slivered cabbage , Chinese celery and spring onion are topped with the seasoned , velvety chicken broth and a mountain of pulled chicken , slices of boiled egg and herbs , and the glamorous koya finishes this goldmine of flavour .
Empal gentong from Cirebon is a coconutbased soto that my faithful Indonesian food companion and photographer , Suzanty Sitorus , adores , and rightly so . There ’ s a seductive hint of ginger , cinnamon , cumin , cardamom and cloves in the glossy broth that says ‘ spice islands ’. The result is melt-in-yourmouth beef and offal in a golden pool of seasoned coconut milk , topped with crisp shallots and spring onions .
“ I love soto mi ,” says Kevindra Prianto , Jakarta-based food writer and host of the new Iron Chef . This Bogor-style soto