Extraordinary Indonesia

THE MYSTERY OF SOTO- Long time ago in Indonesia archipelago, in the heart of Java Island was born a legendary food, a people food, an Indonesia secret cuisine, Soto. No, I am just kidding. Nobody knows where and when Soto was really born. According to Dennys Lombard in his book Nusa Jawa: Silang Budaya, soto was invented from Chinese cuisine’s named Caudo. Soto is an Indonesian broth with a lot of spices, usually it is added with noodle or rice noodle or simply rice. Soto uses chicken meat or beef or pork or sometimes buffalo meat. The similarity with Caudo comes from the use of rice noodle and the ingredients itself. The interesting part is Soto, after their first appearance, now spread throughout Indonesia. Nowadays, you can find Soto anywhere, from street food until formal restaurant. The differences are after the first name ‘Soto’, now people add the last name of them and it is according to their own places. In Sumatra Island you can try a well known Soto Padang. Soto Padang uses beef meat since the majority religion is Islam and the plain there support kettle life. You can eat Soto Padang with rice noodle and perkedel, local fried mash potato. In Borneo Island exist a tribe’s called Banjar in a region of South Kalimantan Province. They invented their own Soto and it is called Soto Banjar. Soto Banjar uses a chicken meat instead beef. Soto Banjar also was influenced by local tradition there by the use of cinnamon, pala, and cengkeh. People eat Soto Banjar with ketupat, a other product from rice. In Celebes Island you can find Coto Makassar. Coto Makassar uses a beef meat and side dish perkedel with ketupat. Their uniqueness comes from the type of beef they use. Instead of ordinary beef meat we ate, Coto Makassar also adds beef offal. However, Coto Makassar is a delicious cuisine and one of trademark of Indonesia. In Java Island there are six province and at least four kind of soto have been discovered until now. In West Java exists Soto Bandung. Soto Bandung uses radish inside the ingredients. In Jakarta, Soto Betawi is a common cuisine. Soto Betawi is well known with the use of milk for the gravy. In Central of Java there are so many kind of Soto. Soto Kudus, Soto Kediri. In East Java the common added ingredient is Koya, a local dish made from shrimp and onion. Culture in Indonesia is a big matter but we success to unify it better than others. Like Indonesian said Bhinekka Tunggal Ika, we are different but we are one. Soto is our achievement.