photos by Jan Dekker

Those of us living in Jakarta have love and hate affair with this sprawling city. Once upon a colonial time it was known as 'Batavia' and hence the Betawi or Jakartans, are the true born and bred locals. And for the many who grow up here, there is nothing to compare Jakarta with, simply because they have not lived anywhere else. Whether you have lived your whole life in Jakarta or have moved here the loves and the hates are generally easily shared. We all don't like this city in terms of the air pollution, traffic congestion, appalling state of the roads, the piled up rubbish and waterways and a public transport system that is simply deplorable. Together they make our daily life more stressful.

So why do people stay, what is it about Jakarta that you like? I am sure we have different reasons. Good dining, shopping, drivers and help at home? I like Jakarta because I have family and lots of friends (expatriates and Indonesians) here. And as one who grew up in Jakarta, I have great interest in Betawi cuisine, which is totally different than the food of Manado, where I was born. It's a pity Betawi cuisine is not better known, to some degree it lies in the shadow of many different regional cuisines from such as Padang, Sundanese and Manadonese alongside the international cuisines of Thailand, India and Vietnam or Italy, Spain, France, US and Britain, to name a few.

So what is Betawi Cuisine? Well, Betawi cuisine has its own character with Arabic, Chinese, European influences and the distinctive originality of the traditions of Betawi people. You can find something fried, stir-fried, barbequed, or steamed. There is Asinan Betawi (fruit and vegetable pickle) as a starter served with peanut sauce – a refreshing and light taste. There is "lalap', a variety of fresh vegetables served with fermented prawn paste and chilles or famous Sayur Asem, clear vegetable soup with tamarind. I find that Betawi cuisine use lots of meat, especially goat and beef. There is a famous fried rice with goat meat 'nasi goreng kambing' at a street vendor in Jalan Kebun Sirih, central Jakarta, the famous sate kambing and goat soup. There is Beef rib soup (Soup Iga Sapi) and the Borobudur hotel serves an oxtail soup that is famous, known as "Sop Buntut." Interestingly, for a city on the sea, there are hardly any seafood dishes in Betawi cuisine. In contrast you can find fresh water fish like Ikan Gabus reasonably easily.