Cuisine Of Indonesia

Indonesian cuisine reflects the vast variety of people that live on the 6,000 populated islands that make up Indonesia. Indonesian cuisine is as diverse as Indonesian culture, and has taken on culinary influence from many sources. Throughout its history, Indonesia has been involved in trade due to its location and natural resources. Indonesia's indigenous techniques and ingredients, at least in the Malay World parts, are influenced by India, the Middle East, China and finally Europe. The Spanish and Portuguese traders brought New World produce even before the Dutch came to colonize most of Indonesia.

The most popular dishes that originated in Indonesia are common across most of Asia, with beef and sambals favored in Malaysia and Singapore. Soy-based dishes such as variations of tofu (tahu) and tempeh are also very popular. In fact, tempeh is an adaptation of tofu to the tropical climates of Indonesia. Indonesian meals are commonly eaten with combination of spoon in the right hand & fork in the left hand, although in many parts such as West Java it is also common to eat with your hands.