Rijsttafel, a culinary treat that shouldn’t be missed

Rijsttafel or Rice Table is another very popular dish you can find in many Balinese restaurants catered to foreign tourists. It was invented by the Dutch colonial plantation owners, who loved to sample different Indonesian dishes with small portions at a time.

It became an instant hit and tradition among the Dutch colonial rulers to try as many dishes as possible and they exported the tradition back to The Netherlands.

Now you can find it in The Netherlands mainly in Chinese Indonesian restaurants but they should call it differently since it tastes a world apart from the Rijsttafel you can find in Bali or the rest of Indonesia where emphasis is placed on lots of spices and herbs.

Indonesia is the land of spices and herbs and this was the main reason the Dutch, Arab, Indian, Chinese, Portuguese and British tried to colonize Indonesia. This also meant that the Dutch, Arab, Indian and other traders have influenced Indonesian cuisine a lot.

The Dutch wanted a monopoly on the spice trade and conquered Indonesia for more than 300 years exporting nutmeg, cloves, mace, ginger and black pepper.

When you meet Indonesians they will not often ask ‘How are you doing?’ but use ‘Sudah Makan?’ instead, which means ‘Have you eaten already?’. Food is an important aspect in the culture of Indonesia and everything they do has to do with food.

I’m lucky that my girlfriends’ mother is Indonesian and prepares mouthwatering Indonesian dishes every time I drop by. Her friends are food artists as well. When you enter their homes just to say ‘hello, how are you doing?’ their reply will be‘Sudah Makan’?

Don’t expect to leave soon, before you know it you will be seated and you’re expected to eat as much as you can from all the various dishes they have made…I have to say it’s hard to refuse.

All of the dishes they’ve prepared look like the Rijsttafel but Indonesians will not call it that way. The Rijsttafel can include more than 20 mini-dishes but when you eat with Indonesians at home there will be normally around 5 dishes and for birthdays it can range from 10 up to professional catering with food displayed on several tables.

Ahh what a dilemma…..on which side of the table should I start?

The golden rule is to take a little by little and return for a second or third time to show how much you appreciate the hosts’ hospitality. Well that’s not that difficult :-)

When you’re in Bali and you are a bit confused what kind of Indonesian dish you want to try, just choose the Rijsttafel. Before you know it your table will be covered with tasty dishes and I’m sure you’ll find one of your favourites, which you can order as many times as you want for the rest of your holiday.

It often includes the following dishes:

Gado-gado -- vegetables with peanut sauce

Satay Ajam -- bbq chicken with peanut sauce or soy sauce

Pisang goreng -- fried banana

Serundeng -- peanuts with coconut especially tasty with yellow rice

Daging smoor -- Beef cooked in spices and sauces

Perkedel -- meat and potato cakes especially taste with white rice

Ikan Pepes -- grilled fish with spices wrapped in banana leaves

Krupuk –- shrimp crackers

Atjar –- sweet and sour vegetable salad

Cap cay –- Chinese mixed vegetables

Tofu –- fried bean curd

Tempe –- fried bean curd beans

Telor Sambal Belado –- boiled egg stir-fried in sambal (chilli) sauce

Ayam Kerrie –- chicken in the Indonesian type of curry

And many more…

Surprise yourself and don’t forget to ask the waiter what all the dishes contain and what they are called so you can order more if you like.

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