Garuda Indonesia Colours Magazine April 2017 | Page 84

Explore | Flavours
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combines slices of deep-fried noodle-filled
spring rolls, beef tendon or trotters, tomato,
cabbage, potato and Chinese celery and is
lathered with beef-marrow stock and served
with melinjo crackers. The combination of
textures and flavours seems to be the key
once again: the crisp spring roll, the tender
beef, the rich, meaty-sweet slightly peppery
broth and the sour freshness of lime leaves,
lemongrass and lime juice. “This is what
makes soto mi so extremely delicious,” claims
Kevindra. “Eat it with a squeeze of lime and
you have a marriage made in heaven!”
“Soto Bandung is my favourite because it’s
deliciously fresh,” says my friend Triny
Tresnawulan, from Bandung, West Java.
This almost minimalist soto combines a
gingery, lemongrassy, light beef broth with
tender beef, paper-thin full moons of white
daikon and fried soy beans, topped with
Chinese celery and fried shallots. Fresh chilli
sambal, lime and prawn crackers finish the
picture in a statement of clean, healthy,
modern eating that’s perfect for a hot day.
Soto Medan is a creamy, coconutty bowl
of sustenance that lives up to its North
Sumatran expectations with all the glory
of cumin, pepper, coriander seeds and
ginger. Served with shredded chicken,
potato, tomato and boiled egg, it’s an
action-packed Malay meal. “I love it,”
says cult food lover-Rahung Nasution.
“It’s Peranakan cuisine and we eat it with
potato perkedel, too.” Krupuk melinjo,
sliced lime and sambal are the other
regular accompaniments. It’s starting
to feel like laksa.
In Bali, soto sapi, beef broth soup, soto
Madura and Surabaya-style soto ayam are
regulars at night markets and street stalls.
Soto Ayam Cak Man in Gatot Subroto,
Denpasar, is a spacious barn-like
establishment that offers friendly 24/7
service. I opted for the soto with the lot,
which includes glass noodles, not too thin,
slivers of moist poached chicken, chunks of
liver and other meaty bits, curiously rubbery
sliced egg yolk and white, crisp shallots and
Chinese celery leaves all drenched with
the luscious chicken broth. Adding lime
juice really does make a huge difference
and, eaten with steamed rice, it’s a
generous, nutritious meal that’s
also decidedly refreshing.
That’s the mere tip of the soto-berg.
There are countless others that didn’t
make these pages. One of the common
threads in a good soto is simply the vendor,
usually male, who takes great pride in
the authenticity of his food and also
the unique presentation. Spice pastes are
made from scratch, and traditional carts
or carriers are used to indicate regionality.
After all, it’s about identity. It has been said
that soto could, in fact, be Indonesia’s
national dish as it can be found from
Sumatra to Papua. No matter where
you are, there will always be soto.
Some historians dispute the origins of
soto, stating that this beloved bowl of broth
was probably introduced by Chinese
immigrants during the colonial era,
while others believe the presence
of turmeric and spices, such as cumin,
indicates an Indian–Arab influence.
But nobody can doubt that it is now an
Indonesian treasure of the most humble,
heart-warming kind. It speaks of street
food, lunchtimes with school friends and
late nights. If chicken soup is good for the
soul, then a bowl of warm soto is good
for the entire being, any time of day.