There are many parts of Indonesian culture I enjoy, but the inner foodie in me particularly loves this nation. Spices, flavors, and new gastronomical experiences abound, and Indonesians are always ready to offer you a bite to eat.
Teachers hard at work making soto ayam.
Of the many exciting and bold flavors spicing up this island nation, soto ayam is Indonesian comfort food at its finest. Found all along the archipelago, “soto” is best described as Indonesian soup, and can come with a variety of meats, veggies, starches, and spices. But soto ayam is, literally, chicken soup for the Indonesian soul.
Assembling ingredients.
In the spirit of eating, my school recently had a soto-day. All the teachers pitched in for ingredients, and mid-morning the ibu guru (women teachers) began assembling bowls of soto.
Starting with a layer of noodles, finely shredded cabbage, bean sprouts, tomatoes, and some greenery, the ladies then tore some ayam kampung (translated as “village chicken,” but basically free-range) into chunks for each bowl. The bowls, topped with sweet soy sauce and crispy potatoes slivers, were set aside for fellow teachers to take at their leisure. When someone was ready to eat, they scooped a ladle-full of yellow broth (chicken stock, turmeric, coconut milk, etc.) into their bowl, added some grupuk (fried rice crisps), sambal (hot chili sauce), and a mound of rice (because if you haven’t eaten rice, you haven’t eaten), and dug in.
Coconutty, chickeny comfort…
Sure puts a box of donuts to shame.
Worth a Journey 