Indonesian noodles are a significant aspect of Indonesian cuisine which is itself very diverse.[1] Indonesian cuisine recognizes many types of noodles, with each region of the country often developing its own distinct recipes.
According to Denys Lombard in the book Le carrefour Javanais. Essai d'histoire globale II (The Javanese Crossroads: Towards a Global History, 2005), the consumption of noodles on the island of Java is thought to have existed since the Majapahit era. Starting from the word hanglaksa which was found in the Biluluk inscription dated from 1391. Hanglaksa in Kawi means "vermicelli maker". In Sanskrit, laksa means "one hundred thousand", referring to numerous strands of the vermicelli. The term laksa or lakhshah is also believed to have come from Persian or Hindi which refer to a kind of vermicelli.[3]
Nevertheless, some of these noodles such as mie goreng, have been completely assimilated into mainstream Indonesian cuisine. Due to the great diversity in Indonesian cuisine, noodles too have undergone diversification and changed according to local tastes, influences, and available ingredients – from mie Aceh, Palembang mie celor, to Javanese mie Jawa. Some types of noodles, such as bihun or rice vermicelli had become integrated as ingredients into Indonesian soto ayam.
Consumption of noodles in Indonesia reached a new height after the advent of the Indonesian instant noodle industry back in the 1970s. Since then, Indonesia has become one of the world's major producers and consumers of instant noodles. Indonesia is the world's second largest instant noodle market coming only after China, with demand reaching 12.52 billion servings in 2019.[4] Today, instant noodles have become a staple in Indonesian households. Certain brands such as Indomie have become household names, and have risen to become a global instant noodle brands.[5]
Noodle types
Indonesian mie telur or yellow wheat and egg noodles, main ingredient for various Indonesian noodle dishes.
Soun – transparent noodle made from starch—it can be mung bean starch, potato starch, sweet potato starch, tapioca, or canna starch—and water. In Klaten, soun made from aren starch.[6]
Bakmi kuah, bakmi noodles contains chicken broth and pork fat, chicken fat or beef fat.
Kwetiau ayam, flat noodle soup with chicken, sometimes served with pangsit (wonton) and bakso (meatball) soup.
Kwetiau siram sapi, flat noodle soup with slices of beef or sometimes beef offal.
Laksa banjar, steamed noodle-like balls, made from rice flour paste, served in thick yellowish soup made from coconut milk, ground spices and snakehead fish broth.
Laksa tangerang, laksa made of rice noodles shaped like spaghetti, chicken stock, mung beans, potatoes and chives.
Lakse kuah, fish curry laksa, made of sagoo noodles with mashed tongkol or mackerel tuna flesh, served in spicy coconut milk curry made of spice mixture.
Lakso, spicy noodle soup served in savoury yellowish coconut milk-based soup, flavoured with fish, and sprinkled with fried shallots.
Mie aceh kuah, soup noodle dish that made with goat meat or seafood and served with emping, slices of shallots, cucumber, and lime.
Mie ayam, chicken noodle soup[7] comprising a bowl of chicken stock, boiled choy sim, celery leaves, diced chicken cooked with sweet soy sauce, and fried shallots. Some variants add mushrooms and fried/boiled pangsit (wonton). Normally it is eaten with chili sauce and pickles.
Mie bakso, bakso meatballs served with yellow noodles and rice vermicelli in beef broth.
Mie koclok, chicken noodle soup from Cirebon. It is served with cabbage, bean sprout, boiled egg, fried onion and spring onion.
Mie kocok, (lit: "shaken noodle"), is an Indonesian beef noodle soup from Bandung, consists of noodles served in rich beef consommé soup, kikil (beef tendon), bean sprouts and bakso (beef meatball), kaffir lime juice, and sprinkled with sliced fresh celery, scallion and fried shallot. Some recipes might add beef tripe.
Mie kuah, literally "boiled noodles" in English, made of yellow egg noodles with a spicy soup gravy.
Mie lor, noodle dish served in a thick starchy gravy—made of corn starch, spices and eggs—and thick flat yellow noodles with ngo hiang, fishcake, fish, round and flat meat dumpling, and half a boiled egg.
Soto ayam, spicy chicken soup with rice vermicelli. Served with hard-boiled eggs, slices of fried potatoes, celery leaves, and fried shallots.
Char kway teow, stir-fried noodle with egg, slices of sausages, fishcake, beansprouts, and less commonly with other ingredients. This noodle dish almost similar to kwetiau goreng.
I fu mie, crispy deep fried thick noodle dish served in a thick savoury sauce with pieces of meat or seafood and vegetables.
Mie aceh goreng, stir-fried and dry noodle dish that made with goat meat or seafood and served with emping, slices of shallots, cucumber, and lime.
Mie caluk, noodle dish served with a splash of thick spicy sauce made from a mixture of tomato, chili pepper or chili sauce, coconut milk, ground peanuts, spiced with shallot, garlic, lemongrass and citrus leaf, and served with pieces of vegetables, sliced cucumber and krupuk.
Mie goreng, spicy fried noodle dish made of thin yellow noodles stir fried in cooking oil with garlic, onion or shallots, fried prawn, chicken, beef, or sliced of meatballs, chili, Chinese cabbage, cabbages, tomatoes, egg, and other vegetables.
Mie goreng jawa, Javanese-style of mie goreng (also known as mie goreng tek-tek by local) with drier and sweeter version due to addition of sweet soy sauce.[9]
Mie hokkien, fried noodle dish, consists of egg noodles and rice noodles stir-fried with egg, slices of pork, prawns and squid, and served and garnished with vegetables, small pieces of lard, sambal and lime.
Mie kering, dried noodle served with thick gravy and sliced chicken, shrimp, mushrooms, liver, and squid.
Hot noodle rolls
Lumpia, spring roll made of thin paper-like or crepe-like pastry skin called "lumpia wrapper" with noodle, chicken, shrimp, egg and vegetables as filling.
Tee long pan, rice noodle roll served with red chilli sauce, crushed roasted-peanuts, fried onions, and dried shrimp.
