It's not difficult to become a vegetarian in Indonesia because there are many Indonesian specialties that are suitable for vegetarians. Check it out below!
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The food we consume can be a source of gas emissions and produces a carbon footprint that is left on the earth. The effect of this carbon footprint in the long term will damage the earth because it can be a source of drought, extreme weather, and natural disasters. Especially if you eat beef, where the production process is one of the biggest contributors to emission gases and carbon footprints in the world.
In order to reduce the carbon footprint on the earth, you can start switching to becoming a vegetarian. Moreover, becoming a vegetarian in Indonesia was not difficult, you know. There are many typical Indonesian vegetarian menus that you can eat, here are the recommendations!
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1. Pecel
On the island of Java, pecel is one of the most sought-after menus for breakfast and lunch. Pecel can be found in Central Java and East Java. Generally, pecel contains vegetables such as long beans, bean sprouts, cucumber, cassava leaves, and basil leaves. However, each region usually has its own combination of vegetables. Then, the pecel is even more delicious with a sprinkling of pecel peanut sauce on it. Not infrequently, people also eat it with rice or rice cake, complete with additional side dishes such as bacem tofu, bakwan, and various other fried foods.
2. Gado-Gado
Almost similar to pecel, in Jakarta, you can find a gado-gado menu. This food consists of boiled vegetables in the form of long beans, cucumbers, potatoes, tempeh, and tofu, which are doused with ground peanut seasoning. There are also those who add boiled eggs and crackers. Many enjoy gado-gado as a menu for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and can also be accompanied by rice or rice cakes.
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3. Urap
Urap is also a food that contains vegetables such as spinach, kale, cassava leaves, young papaya leaves, bean sprouts, and long beans. What makes urap different from other menus is the addition of grated coconut and a splash of peanut sauce containing kencur, this is what characterizes the taste of urap.
4. Karedok
This typical Sundanese food consists of vegetables that are not cooked or eaten raw with the addition of grilled oncom. Generally, the vegetables in karedok are cabbage, cucumber, bean sprouts, long beans, leunca, and basil leaves. This menu is also eaten with a slightly spicy peanut sauce.
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5. Asinan
If you like fresh food, Indonesia has pickles. As the name implies, this one menu contains ingredients that go through the pickling process with salt or vinegar first. There are two kinds of pickles, namely pickled vegetables and pickled fruit. There are also those who know pickled vegetables as Asinan Betawi, and pickled fruit as Asinan Bogor. Both are equally delicious to eat as a snack.
These five menus are still easy to find in traditional eateries, but not infrequently they are also sold on mobile carts. Are you ready to start being a vegetarian?