Explore the deliciousness of various East Javanese specialties, from Rawon to Javanese Fried Rice, which are famous for their savory, spicy, and spice-rich flavors that are ready to rock your tongue.
East Java, besides being rich in culture, is also known as a culinary paradise with a variety of dishes that taste savory, sour, and spicy. The use of typical ingredients such as shrimp paste and petis are the main characteristics of East Javanese cuisine which is often processed by grilling, steaming, frying, or baking until perfectly cooked.
For culinary lovers, East Java offers a unique and delicious taste experience. Here are 10 Typical East Javanese Foods that you must try.
1. Rawon
Rawon is one of East Java’s culinary icons which is famous for its black sauce. The black color in rawon sauce comes from kluwak, a fruit that gives this dish its distinctive taste.
Rawon is usually filled with pieces of beef cooked with spices such as shallots, garlic, galangal, lemongrass, and coriander. This combination of spices produces a savory and rich-tasting sauce. Rawon is best served with warm rice, short bean sprouts, spring onions, crackers, and chili sauce.
2. Rujak Cingur
This typical Surabaya food is known to be unique because it uses cingur or pieces of cow’s mouth as its main ingredient. Rujak cingur is served with sliced fruits such as cucumber, jicama, kedondong, pineapple, and vegetables such as bean sprouts, kale, and long beans.
This dish is then doused with peanut sauce mixed with petis, resulting in a combination of savory, spicy, and sweet flavors. Rujak cingur is usually enjoyed as a refreshing lunch dish.
3. Lontong Balap
Lontong balap is a legendary dish from Surabaya consisting of lontong, bean sprouts, fried tofu, lentho (fried tolo beans), and sweet soy sauce. This dish is served with fresh sauce and is topped with fried onions and chili sauce.
The name lontong balap is said to come from the tradition of sellers running fast when selling this food, so that it looks like they are “racing” on the street.
4. Clover Salad
Clover is a climbing plant whose leaves are used as the main ingredient in clover salad. This specialty dish is often found around Surabaya and is served with additional vegetables such as bean sprouts and kale.
The pecel sauce is made from a mixture of chilies, starfruit, lemongrass, and brown sugar which is ground until smooth. Semanggi pecel is usually served with uli crackers, giving a crunchy texture to every mouthful.
5. Rice cake with coconut milk
Lontong kupang is a unique food from the coast of East Java, especially the Sidoarjo area. Kupang is a type of small clam cooked in petis sauce and served with lontong, lento (fried cassava), and clam satay. This dish has a fresh, savory and slightly sour taste, perfect for enjoying during the day.
6. Tahu Tek
Tahu tek is a typical street food of Surabaya and Lamongan consisting of fried tofu, French fries, rice cake, bean sprouts, and cucumber, drizzled with peanut sauce. The taste is a combination of savory, sweet, spicy, and fresh.
The name “tahu tek” comes from the sound of the seller’s tool when cutting tofu and rice cake which sounds like “tek-tek”. Tahu tek is often served with shrimp crackers as a complement.
7. Pecel Rice
Pecel rice is a famous dish in various regions in East Java, especially Madiun. This rice is served with boiled vegetables such as long beans, spinach, and bean sprouts, drizzled with pecel sauce made from peanuts, brown sugar, and spices.
Pecel rice is often enjoyed with fried tempeh, tofu, and peanut crackers as side dishes. With a simple yet appetizing taste, pecel rice is a favorite breakfast menu in Madiun.
8. Malang Meatballs
Who doesn’t know Malang meatballs ? This typical Malang soup dish offers a variety of fillings such as beef meatballs, tofu, siomay, dumplings, and noodles. Malang meatballs have a chewy texture with a savory and spice-rich beef broth.
Many Malang meatball sellers offer a variety of toppings and chili sauce to add to the deliciousness of this dish. Malang meatballs are very popular throughout Indonesia because of their delicious and filling taste.
9. Mixed Tofu
Tahu campur is a typical Lamongan food consisting of fried tofu pieces, beef, tendons, cassava cakes, bean sprouts, and watercress. This dish is served with a savory broth and petis seasoning, creating an alluring combination of savory and fresh flavors.
Usually tahu campur is enjoyed with additional lontong and chili sauce for those of you who like spicy sensations.
10. Javanese Fried Rice
Javanese fried rice is a variant of Indonesian fried rice with a rich spice seasoning. This fried rice is usually cooked with sweet soy sauce and traditional spices such as shallots, garlic, candlenuts, and chilies.
Depending on the region, Javanese fried rice has unique variations, such as tripe fried rice from Semarang or kampung fried rice from Yogyakarta. This dish is usually served with fried eggs, pickles, and crackers as accompaniments.
East Java is a heaven for food lovers with a variety of delicious dishes that are savory, spicy, and fresh. From Rawon to Javanese Fried Rice, every Typical Surabaya Food offers uniqueness and deliciousness that is worth trying. If you have the chance to visit East Java, don’t miss out on trying these 10 mouth-watering specialty foods!
