Categories
Indonesian Cakes & Snacks
Traditional Indonesian cakes and snacks: bika ambon, pempek, klappertaart, timphan and more.
Timphan (Banana Sticky Rice Cake with Custard)
Timphan Pisang Srikaya
A traditional Acehnese cake of glutinous rice flour and banana, filled with coconut custard or coconut, wrapped in young banana leaf and steamed. A must at Eid in Aceh.
North SumatraBika Ambon (Honeycomb Coconut Cake)
Bika Ambon
Medan's legendary cake with a chewy honeycomb texture, perfumed with lime leaf and lemongrass, sweet and rich.
RiauBolu Kemojo (Pandan Frangipani Cake)
Bolu Kemojo
A Pekanbaru cake baked in a frangipani (kemojo) flower mould, green from suji and pandan leaves, sweet and dense yet soft.
JambiKue Padamaran (Rice Flour Pudding with Palm Sugar)
Kue Padamaran
A traditional Jambi and Palembang sweet in banana-leaf cups: rice flour and coconut milk on top, liquid palm sugar at the bottom.
South SumatraPempek Kapal Selam (Egg-Filled Fish Cake)
Pempek Kapal Selam
A large fish cake with a whole egg inside, served with cuko, a sour, sweet and spicy palm sugar sauce. The icon of Palembang.
Bangka Belitung IslandsBangka Sweet Martabak (Terang Bulan)
Martabak Manis Bangka
Thick, honeycombed, fluffy pancake with chocolate, peanuts, cheese and condensed milk. Created by Hakka traders in Bangka.
BengkuluBay Tat (Bengkulu Pineapple Tart)
Kue Bay Tat
A Bengkulu tart filled with pineapple jam, once a dish for nobility. The name is believed to come from 'bolu tat'.
LampungEngkak Ketan (Glutinous Rice Layer Cake)
Kue Engkak Ketan
Lampung's layer cake of glutinous rice flour and coconut milk, baked layer by layer. Chewy and sweet.
JakartaKerak Telor (Jakarta Spicy Egg Omelette)
Kerak Telor
A Betawi street snack of glutinous rice and duck egg, cooked in a small wok turned upside down over charcoal and topped with toasted coconut and dried shrimp.
West JavaSurabi with Spicy Oncom
Surabi Oncom
Bandung rice-flour pancakes cooked in clay moulds, topped with spicy, savoury oncom (fermented soybean cake).
Central JavaSemarang Spring Rolls (Lumpia)
Lumpia Semarang
Semarang spring rolls filled with bamboo shoots, prawns and egg, a blend of Chinese and Javanese cooking. Served fresh or fried.
BaliJaje Laklak (Balinese Rice Flour Pancakes)
Jaje Laklak
Traditional Balinese green rice-flour pancakes coloured with suji leaves, cooked in clay moulds and topped with palm sugar syrup and grated coconut.
West KalimantanChoi Pan (Pontianak Steamed Dumplings)
Choi Pan
Pontianak Chinese steamed dumplings with thin translucent skin of rice and tapioca flour, filled with jicama and dried shrimp, topped with fried garlic and chilli sauce.
South KalimantanBingka Kentang (Banjar Potato Custard Cake)
Bingka Kentang
A soft, sweet and rich Banjar cake baked in a flower shape, a must during Ramadan in Banjarmasin.
North SulawesiKlappertaart (Manado Coconut Custard)
Klappertaart
A baked young coconut pudding from the Dutch era, soft like custard, with raisins and a topping of kenari nuts. A special treat in Manado.
West SulawesiGolla Kambu (Mandar Coconut Palm Sugar Sweet)
Golla Kambu
A traditional Mandar sweet of grated coconut and palm sugar cooked until thick and wrapped in banana leaves. Rich, sweet and long-lasting.
South SulawesiPisang Epe (Pressed Grilled Banana with Palm Sugar)
Pisang Epe
Half-ripe kepok bananas grilled, pressed flat (epe) and drizzled with palm sugar syrup. The afternoon snack of Losari Beach.
North MalukuBagea Kenari (Sago and Kenari Nut Cookies)
Bagea Kenari
Hard sago and kenari nut cookies from Ternate and Maluku. Firm and fragrant with spice, perfect for dunking in tea or coffee.
PapuaMashed Taro with Coconut Milk
Keladi Tumbuk Santan
Boiled taro mashed with coconut milk and a little sugar. A filling traditional food from the Papuan lowlands.
West PapuaKue Lontar (Papuan Milk Pie)
Kue Lontar Papua
A large Papuan milk pie similar to the Dutch taart. Crisp pastry and soft custard filling, a must at Christmas and celebrations.
Southwest PapuaGrilled Sago with Coconut and Palm Sugar
Sagu Bakar Kelapa
Sago mixed with grated coconut and palm sugar, wrapped in leaves and grilled. A simple snack from the Raja Ampat coast.
Central PapuaGarlic Fried Taro
Keladi Goreng Bawang
Boiled taro fried with garlic seasoning. A simple, savoury and filling snack.