Colo-colo (condiment) facts for kids
Sambal Colo-colo
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| Course | Condiment |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Indonesia |
| Region or state | Maluku |
| Associated national cuisine | Indonesia |
| Main ingredients | Chili, tomato, shallot, lime, and lemon basil |
Colo-colo is a special kind of condiment from the Maluku Islands in Indonesia. It's a bit sour and spicy. Many people think it first came from Ambon city. That's why it's often called Ambon's own sambal, which is a spicy sauce.
What is Colo-colo?
Colo-colo is a fresh and tangy sauce. It is made by mixing many chopped ingredients. These include red chili peppers, tiny bird's eye chilies, and shallots. It also has red and green tomatoes. A little salt and sugar are added too. All these ingredients are mixed with fresh calamansi juice. Calamansi is a small, sour citrus fruit. Sometimes, kaffir lime or lemon juice is used instead.
How is it Different?
Colo-colo is quite similar to another Indonesian sauce called dabu-dabu from Manado. But colo-colo has some special additions. It often includes chopped lemon basil leaves. Sometimes, kenari nuts are added. These are a type of local nut.
Traditionally, colo-colo also had a unique oily ingredient. This was either tahi minyak or ampas minyak. These are dark, leftover bits from making coconut oil. Another traditional ingredient was caramelized rarobang. This is a watery part left over from making coconut oil. These special ingredients made colo-colo darker and a bit oily.
Modern Colo-colo
Today, it's hard to find the traditional oily ingredients like tahi minyak or rarobang. So, the recipe for colo-colo has changed a bit. People now often use kecap manis (sweet soy sauce). They mix it with margarine, coconut oil, or other cooking oils. Because of this, modern colo-colo can sometimes be confused with sambal kecap. Sambal kecap is another common Indonesian sauce made with sweet soy sauce.
How to Enjoy Colo-colo
The Maluku Islands are famous for their amazing seafood. Colo-colo is usually served with these delicious seafood dishes. It's especially popular with ikan bakar (grilled fish) and ikan goreng (fried fish).
You can use colo-colo as a dipping sauce. Or you can spread it over your fish. Some common fish served with colo-colo include:
- Bubara (giant trevally)
- Kakap merah (red snapper)
- Baronang (rabbitfish)
- Cakalang (skipjack tuna)
- Ikan kakatua (bullethead parrotfish)
