Indonesian noodles facts for kids
Stir frying mie goreng jawa in a wok.
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| Type | Noodle |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Indonesia |
| Region or state | Indonesia and the Netherlands |
| Variations | Various |
Indonesian noodles are a big part of Indonesian cuisine, which is super diverse! Indonesia has many kinds of noodles. Each area of the country often creates its own special noodle recipes.
Contents
The Story of Indonesian Noodles
Chinese influences are very clear in Indonesian food. Many Chinese noodles became popular in Indonesia, especially through Chinese Indonesian cuisine. Some examples are bakmi, mie ayam, and kwetiau goreng. These noodles came to Indonesia because Chinese settlers moved to the Indonesian islands a long time ago.
A historian named Denys Lombard wrote that people in Java might have eaten noodles since the Majapahit era. This was a powerful kingdom in Indonesia many centuries ago. An old writing from 1391 mentions the word hanglaksa. In the old Kawi language, hanglaksa meant "vermicelli maker." Laksa in Sanskrit means "one hundred thousand," which could describe the many thin strands of vermicelli noodles.
Over time, some noodles, like mie goreng, became fully Indonesian. Because Indonesian food is so varied, noodles also changed. They adapted to local tastes, other influences, and ingredients available in different places. This is why you find unique noodles like mie Aceh, Palembang mie celor, and Javanese mie Jawa. Some noodles, like bihun (rice vermicelli), even became part of other Indonesian dishes, such as soto ayam.
Eating noodles in Indonesia became even more popular after instant noodles arrived in the 1970s. Since then, Indonesia has become one of the world's biggest makers and eaters of instant noodles. Indonesia is the second largest instant noodle market globally, right after China. In 2019, people in Indonesia ate 12.52 billion servings! Today, instant noodles are a common food in Indonesian homes. Brands like Indomie are very famous and are even known around the world.
Types of Noodles
Here are some of the different kinds of noodles you can find in Indonesia:
- Bakmi – These are yellow wheat noodles, usually made with egg and often served with meat.
- Bihun – These are very thin rice noodles, also called rice vermicelli.
- Kwetiau – These are flat or thick noodles made from rice.
- Locupan – These are white, almost see-through noodles made from rice flour.
- Makaroni – This is a type of dry pasta shaped like narrow tubes.
- Mie instan – These are instant noodles, ready quickly.
- Mie jagung – Noodles made from corn starch.
- Mie sagu – Noodles made from sago palm starch.
- Misoa – These are super thin, salted noodles made from wheat flour.
- Mie tarik – This means "pulled noodles." They are soft wheat flour noodles.
- Mie telur – These are egg noodles.
- Soun – These are clear noodles made from different starches, like mung bean, potato, or sweet potato.
Popular Noodle Dishes
Hot Noodle Soups
These noodle dishes are served in a warm, flavorful broth.
- Bakmi kuah – Bakmi noodles in a chicken, pork, or beef broth.
- Bihun kuah – A simple soup with thin rice vermicelli noodles.
- Kwetiau ayam – Flat noodles in soup with chicken, sometimes with wontons and meatballs.
- Laksa betawi – A rich laksa with rice vermicelli, beansprouts, and dried shrimp broth.
- Laksa bogor – Laksa with rice vermicelli, beansprouts, and oncom (a fermented food).
- Lakso – Spicy noodle soup in a savory coconut milk soup, often with fish.
- Mie aceh kuah – A spicy noodle soup with goat meat or seafood, served with crispy crackers.
- Mie ayam – Chicken noodle soup with diced chicken cooked in sweet soy sauce. It often has greens and fried shallots.
- Mie bakso – Meatballs (bakso) served with yellow noodles and rice vermicelli in beef broth.
- Mie celor – A special noodle dish from Palembang, served in a creamy coconut milk and shrimp broth.
- Mie godhog jawa – A soupy Javanese noodle dish with local spices and rich chicken broth.
- Mie kangkung – A vegetable noodle soup with kangkung (water spinach), meatballs, chicken, and mushrooms.
- Mie kari kuah – A soupy noodle dish with curry flavor.
- Mie kocok – From Bandung, this beef noodle soup has noodles in a rich beef broth with beef tendon and bean sprouts.
- Mie kuah – Simply "boiled noodles" in English, with yellow egg noodles and a spicy gravy.
- Soto ayam – Spicy chicken soup with rice vermicelli, eggs, potatoes, and fried shallots.
- Soto mie – Noodles in a spicy soto (traditional Indonesian soup) broth.
Dry Noodle Dishes
These noodles are stir-fried or served with a sauce, not in a soup.
- Bakmi goreng – Fried bakmi noodles.
- Bihun goreng – Fried thin rice noodles with spices, fried shallots, and sweet soy sauce.
- Char kway teow – Stir-fried noodles with egg, sausages, fishcake, and beansprouts.
- I fu mie – Crispy deep-fried thick noodles served with a thick, savory sauce, meat or seafood, and vegetables.
- Kwetiau goreng – Stir-fried flat noodles, similar to char kway teow.
- Mie aceh goreng – A stir-fried version of the spicy Aceh noodle dish, with goat meat or seafood.
- Mie goreng – A very popular spicy fried noodle dish. It has yellow noodles stir-fried with garlic, onions, shrimp, chicken, or meatballs, chili, cabbage, tomatoes, and egg.
- Mie goreng Indomie – The famous instant version of mie goreng.
- Mie goreng jawa – Javanese-style fried noodles. It's often drier and sweeter because of sweet soy sauce.
- Mie hokkien – Fried egg noodles and rice noodles with egg, pork, prawns, and squid.
- Mie kari – Fried curry noodle dish.
- Mie kering – Dried noodles served with a thick gravy and slices of chicken, shrimp, mushrooms, and squid.
Other Noodle Dishes
- Ketoprak – A vegetarian dish with rice vermicelli, tofu, vegetables, and rice cake, all served in a peanut sauce.
- Macaroni schotel – A macaroni casserole with cheese, potato, and meat like smoked beef or sausage.
- Martabak mie – A type of pancake (murtabak) made with noodles and eggs.
- Pastel – A thin pastry dumpling filled with rice vermicelli, chicken, and vegetables.
Popular Instant Noodle Brands
