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Batak cuisine is the cuisine and cooking traditions ofBatak ethnic groups, predominantly found inNorthern Sumatra region,Indonesia. Batak cuisine is part ofIndonesian cuisine, and compared to other Sumatran cuisine traditions, it is more indigenously preserved. One characteristic of Batak cuisine is its preference toandaliman (Zanthoxylum acanthopodium) as the main spice. That is why andaliman in Indonesia sometimes dubbed as "Batak pepper" (Indonesian:Merica Batak).[1]
Batak people are majorityChristian — unlike neighboring Muslim-majority ethnic groups such asAceh andMinang — Christian Batak people are not restricted to Islamichalal dietary law.[2] Many of the Batak's popular meals are made ofpork as well as dishes made from unusual ingredients, such asdog meat orblood, however there are also halal batak dishes, mostly chicken, beef, lamb, mutton, and freshwater fishes.
Batak culinary centers are located in towns of Batak highlands, such as the town ofKabanjahe andBerastagi in Tanah Karo area. While some towns around theLake Toba offers freshwater fish dishes such ascarparsik. The Northern Sumatra capital ofMedan is also a Batak cuisine hotspot where numerous ofLapo (Batak eating establishments) can be found, yet the city is also a culinary center ofhalalMalay Deli, as well asIndian Cuisine andChinese Indonesian cuisines. Outside its traditional lands in North Sumatra, Batak cuisine can also be found inLapo inJakarta, as well as most of the Indonesian major cities. Batak food is also widely present inPenang, Malaysia due to wide Batak migrant labour population found there.
Cooking traditions in many parts ofSumatra often demonstrates foreign culinary influences; such asMinang,Malay andAcehnese cuisines featuring typicalcurry-like dishes heavily influenced byIndian andArabic cuisines. Batak cuisine however, retain its indigenousAustronesian cooking traditions; such as cooking meats (especiallypork) along with itsblood. Similar dish can also be found inFilipino cuisine, such asdinuguan. However, since many tribes of the archipelago have converted toIslam, thenon-halal dishes such as those using pork,dog meat, or blood, has been abandoned, and now only survive in non-Muslim areas, such as Batak lands.
Regional differences between Batak and Acehnese culinary influences, among others, are characterized by the choice of spices;curry leaves orandaliman. Coastal Acehnese people using curry leaves (Murraya koenigii) as the main spice, while the Batak people prefer andaliman. Regions that use andaliman as main spices starting from theGayo highlands in Central Aceh continue to the southeast up toBerastagi inTanah Karo in North Sumatra.[1]
The most widely used spice in Batak cuisine is andaliman andbatak onion (chives), they are commonly used for all types of arsik. The most common Batak spicy sauce is calledarsik — it is a Batak sauce made from the mixture of andaliman,turmeric,garlic andcandlenut. There are many unique spices used in Batak cuisine recipes.Sambal Tuktuk for example use a mixture of andaliman and other spices. Other spices commonly used in Batak cuisine includeskaffir lime,Indonesian bay leaves,coriander,onion,garlic,chili pepper,pepper,lemongrass,ginger,galangal andturmeric.
For many centuriesBatak tribes has led a relatively isolated way of life and maintained their ancestral belief systems. As the result a lot of the indigenous elements of their culture still survive, including their culinary arts. Today majority of Batak tribes areChristian, for exampleBatak Toba,Karo, andPakpak.Pork anddog meats are commonly consumed. Dog meat is usually called B1, derived frombiang, Batak word to refer a dog, while pork is often called B2 frombabi. Pork (B2) or dog meat (B1) are usually cooked in its own blood, spiced and seasoned assaksang, or grilled aspanggang.
However, there is alsoMuslim Batak tribes, such asMandailing Batak tribe. They applyIslamic dietary law which only allowshalal food and forbid consumption of pork, dog meat, and blood.
Popular Batak pork dish aresaksang, fried cutlets sauteed pork in thick spicy blood sauces andBabi Panggang Karo (karo roast pork) — often shortened to BPK — which is locals' favourite and has become nationally famous throughLapo Batak restaurants nationwide. BPK consists of roasted pork slices with three accompaniments: a bowl of broth made from the essence of boiled pig's bones, a platter of porcine blood cooked withpepper andchili, and a saucer of extra-hot chili sauce.[2]
Another common meat consumed in the Batak cuisine isbuffalo meat,beef andchicken.Manuk Napinadar is a grilled chicken smothered in chicken blood itself, spiced with andaliman and garlic powder.Ayam Tasak Telu is one of popular chicken dish in Batak cuisine.Tasak telu literally means “cooking three times,” and consists of three dishes: the first part is boiled chicken< the second part is a sauce made of finely-ground corn kernels, spices and the remaining stock from the boiled chicken, the third part is an assortment of chopped vegetables and spicycoconut.
Since the Batak tribes live in the interior of North Sumatra, freshwater fish that live in rivers orLake Toba is commonly consumed by locals.Carp usually cooked asArsik orDengke Mas na Niura, the fish is not cooked, but just seasoned and flavored in heavy spices. In addition to carp,catfish andtilapia are also consumed, usually cooked asNa Tinombur.
Batak dishes sometimes use unusual meats such asdog meat (B1 or "biang" ) cooked as saksang or roasted as panggang.
One unusual notorious dish isPagit-pagit that has distinctly pungent aroma. The ingredients include a brew ofcassava leaves,santan (coconut milk),rimbang (a bitter but non-toxic variety of thenightshade family), flowers of some locally available plants and somearsik sauce, pork or beef meat, mixed with additional unusual substance — juice from a cow'scud, food that has been digested and regurgitated.
Another exotic and rare ingredients iskidu. It is the Karo word for white, plump grubs or insectlarvae found insugar palm trees. The kidu-kidu sausages are named as such because they look similar to the grubs. The grubs are lightly fried to make the outer skin crispy while keeping the inner part juicy, and then briefly cooked in a boiling arsik sauce.
For the Batak community,tuak (palm liquor) is not just for drinking binges. The beverage is mandatory at celebrations, and drinkingtuak has become something of a tradition. It is a popular traditionalalcoholic beverage made frompalm wine. It is made by fermenting theenau sap. BatakLapo Tuak is a drinking establishment dedicated to serve this traditional alcoholic beverage.[3] North Sumatra is also known ascoffee production area in Indonesia. Coffee variants such asMandheling is those coffee beans grown in North SumatranMandailing region.
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