Jakarta - There are few dishes as comforting and deeply rooted in Indonesian culinary heritage as soto ayam. On my recent trip, I had the pleasure of enjoying this beloved dish with my Indonesian friends, who took me to one of their favourite spots: Soto Kudus Kencana. What I expected to be a simple bowl of chicken soup turned out to be a flavourful journey through history, tradition, and regional pride.
Soto ayam is widely known across Indonesia with each region has its own interpretation, ingredients, and personality. But that day, I learned about a special variation: Soto Kudus, which originates from the town of Kudus in Central Java. What makes Soto Kudus particularly unique is its traditional use of buffalo meat instead of chicken. This tradition dates back to centuries-old cultural sensitivities, where consuming beef was discouraged out of respect for the Hindu community in the area. Over time, buffalo became the preferred meat, and even today, many traditional Soto Kudus stalls maintain this practice.
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| preserved cockles |
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| Gado gado |
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| Nasi Pindang |
Nasi Pindang is a traditional Indonesian dish from the Kudus region of Central Java, consisting of rice with beef in a flavourful coconut milk sauce, often topped with melinjo leaves. The name "pindang" here refers to the cooking method, not the usual preserved fish dish, and is often associated with a savoury, slightly sweet, and soupy gravy.
Melinjo and Belinjo are the same thing; they are two different names for the seeds of the Gnetum gnemon plant. The terms are used interchangeably to refer to the nut, which is used to make the Indonesian cracker known as emping.
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