5 Delicious Lombok Foods That You Must Try

No less than Bali, Lombok has recently become one of the favorite stopovers for travelers. The beaches and natural scenery are no less beautiful than the island of Bali. A series of Lombok specialties are ready to lull those who claim to be adventurous in taste. Lombok cuisine has characteristics similar to Bali. Most of the dishes are brightly colored because of the spices with a fairly sharp taste. Often mix and match with protein that utilizes marine products such as various types of fish. These are the delicious Lombok specialties that you must try:

1. Sate Rembiga

Lombok has various types of satay culinary, one of which is called Sate Rembiga. Rembiga refers to the name of the road in Mataram, Lombok. One of the famous rembiga satay stalls is owned by Mrs. Sinnaseh, located on Jl. Rembiga No. 4, Mataram, Lombok. Ibu Sinnaseh’s satay stall is almost every day visited by local and foreign residents and tourists.

Sate rembiga itself is culinary that introduces everyone to the fact that Mataram is an area that is famous for its large number of cattle. The meat chosen for the rembiga satay is beef which must be ground before being stabbed and roasted to make it tender. Once tender, the meat must be soaked in special spices for two hours and then grilled. Sate rembiga that is ready to eat is usually served with bulayak, a type of rice cake with unique packaging.

2. Sate Ikan Tanjung

In North Lombok, there is one sub-district and the capital city of North Lombok district named Tanjung. Tanjung has a special food in the form of fish satay, which is always invaded by culinary hunters from various parts of the country. Sate Tanjung is satay that has been around since 1977. The initiator of the first satay tanjung was Mrs. Salimah who peddled her satay wares on the main road of Tanjung, North Lombok.

From year to year Sate Tanjung Ibu Salimah is getting more and more well-known to the people of Lombok, so that buyers flock to come from various places just to enjoy one serving of Tanjung satay. The fish chosen are usually skipjack and laguan. Fish meat is seasoned with various spices to create a spicy taste that is typical of Lombok. Don’t be surprised because most Lombok food is spicy.

3. Kue Keciput

Lombok food has various forms, ranging from vegetables, satay, to cakes. One of the typical Lombok cakes that the people favor is Keciput Cake. Keciput cake is a cake that is usually served during Eid. Physically, this traditional cake from Lombok is similar to onde-onde with a smaller size, like marbles. On the outside is also given a sprinkling of sesame as a decoration. Keciput cake is not the same as onde-onde. If the dumplings contain green beans, the keciput cake has no filling. Keciput is made from glutinous rice.

In Lombok, there are two types of keciput, namely ordinary keciput and black keciput.

The black keciput is made with black glutinous rice, while the ordinary keciput is made from white glutinous rice. Tourists very often buy this cake as a gift for close relatives at home.

4. Poteng Jaje Tujak

Poteng jaje tujak if changed into English, means mashed snack tape. This typical Lombok food is a dish made from tape (fermented sweet potato), usually used as a Eid meal. Poteng jaje tujak is a snack made from a mixture of two main ingredients. In addition to tape, there are also other ingredients in the form of white sticky rice, which will look more striking after being finished than the tape.

In Lombok society there is a local belief that requires a person to be in a holy state or not menstruate to make this food. If it is in a “dirty state” forcing it to be made, then the poteng jaje tujak is considered damaged. Even in the process of making poteng, precisely when sprinkling glutinous tape powder, it is better if done after the prayer is finished so that it is still clean from hadas (holy).

5. Bantal

If so far people know pillows as soft objects used as head mats for sleeping, in Lombok, people know pillows as snacks usually eaten when breaking the fast. Pillows are a typical food of East Lombok in the form of cakes made from sticky rice. This traditional snack is called a pillow because it has a shape similar to a sleeping pillow.

Lombok residents usually make Pillow Cakes as a menu for breaking their fast or as a snack to accompany the moment of tadarus Al-Qur’an.

Pillow cakes are made from sticky rice with bananas added and then wrapped to be cooked in a pot of hot water. Before cooking, the pillow cake dough is shaped using a mold from palm leaves in the form of a cube. Along with the rapid development of the times, it is now difficult to find pillow cakes for sellers on the plains of Lombok. So you have to be observant.

Before you plan a trip to Lombok, be sure to read more about Lombok and Indonesia by visiting Wonderful Indonesia.