What you need to know about Indonesian food

Indonesian food is one of the most vibrant and colourful cuisines in the world, full of intense flavour. Over the centuries many different races have visited and left their stamp on the cuisine – Indian, Chinese, Arab, Portuguese, Spanish, English and Dutch.

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With 6,000 islands, there are many regional specialties, but wherever you are in Indonesia, most meals, including breakfast, are based around rice.

Literally meaning "fried rice", nasi goreng is considered the national dish of Indonesia and can be found everywhere from street hawker carts to dinner parties or restaurants. It is a meal of stir-fried rice spiced with kecap manis (sweet soy sauce), shallot, garlic, tamarind and chilli and accompanied by other ingredients, mainly egg, chicken, prawns or salted dried fish.

Sambals are also a cornerstone of the cuisine and these chilli-based condiments may be either freshly made or store-bought. There are many types of sambals, all of which combine a variety of chilli peppers with different combinations of spices, fruits or vegetables.