Ayam kecap facts for kids
Ayam kecap with slices of onion
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| Alternative names | Ayam masak kicap |
|---|---|
| Course | Main course |
| Place of origin | Indonesia |
| Region or state | Java |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredients | Chicken (cut into pieces), poached in sweet soy sauce and spices |
Ayam kecap or ayam masak kicap is a delicious chicken dish from Indonesia. It's made by cooking chicken in a special sweet soy sauce called kecap manis. This popular meal is often found in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore.
Contents
History of Ayam Kecap
Ayam kecap is a very common chicken dish served all over Indonesia. It actually has roots in both Javanese and Chinese cooking traditions.
The way ayam kecap is made is closely linked to how Indonesian kecap manis (sweet soy sauce) is produced. Historically, the idea of making soy sauce came to Indonesia from Chinese influences. However, the Javanese people in Indonesia added their own special touch. They put in a lot of thick liquid palm sugar (called gula jawa), which makes the sauce sweet and thick, a bit like molasses. There's also a spicier version called ayam kecap pedas, which has plenty of chili peppers!
Different Ways to Make Ayam Kecap
Ayam Kecap in Indonesia
In Indonesia, ayam kecap usually means pieces of chicken cooked slowly in kecap manis. It's seasoned with ingredients like shallots or onions, garlic, ginger, pepper, leek, and tomato. Some recipes might add even more spices, such as nutmeg and cloves.
Sometimes, people use the name ayam kecap to mean ayam goreng kecap (fried chicken in sweet soy sauce) or semur ayam (an Indonesian stew with chicken). These dishes are quite similar because they all involve chicken cooked in sweet soy sauce. However, semur ayam often has more spices like clove, cinnamon, and star anise. Ayam goreng kecap usually has a thicker sauce and is often served with fresh lime slices or a splash of lime juice.
The main difference between them is how much liquid they have. Ayam kecap and ayam goreng kecap are usually drier and use a thicker soy sauce. Semur ayam, on the other hand, has more sauce and is more watery.
Most ayam kecap dishes use chicken pieces, including the bones, that are first poached (cooked gently in liquid). But there's a different version called ayam panggang kecap. This dish uses the same sweet soy sauce and spices, but instead of chicken pieces, it uses boneless chicken fillets that are grilled instead of fried.
Ayam Kecap in Malaysia
In Malaysia, the dish is called ayam masak kicap, which means "chicken cooked in soy sauce." It's different from the Chinese style of soy sauce chicken because the chicken meat is cut into pieces and mixed with its own special spices.
Malaysian ayam masak kicap often uses spices similar to the Indonesian version. However, in Malaysia, the chicken is usually partly fried first as ayam goreng kunyit (turmeric fried chicken) before it's cooked slowly in the sauce. Sometimes, potatoes are also added to the stew.
See Also
