 A plate of lontong cap go meh | |
| Course | Main course |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Indonesia |
| Region or state | Java, Nationwide |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredients | Lontong topped withopor ayam, sayur lodeh, sambal goreng ati, pindang telur, koya powder, sambal, and krupuk |
Lontong cap go meh (Javanese:ꦭꦺꦴꦤ꧀ꦛꦺꦴꦁꦕꦥ꧀ꦒꦺꦴꦩꦺꦃ,romanized: lonthong cap go mèh) is aChinese Indonesian take on traditionalIndonesian dishes, more preciselyJavanese cuisine. It islontong (an elongated rice cake) served with richly-flavoured dishes which includeopor ayam chicken in coconut milk,sayur lodeh vegetable soup, hot and spicy liver, hard-boiledpindang egg,koya powder made of soy and dried shrimp orbeef floss,pickles,chili paste andprawn cracker.Lontong cap go meh is usually consumed by the Chinese Indonesian community during theCap go meh celebration.[1]
Lontong cap go meh is actually not a single dish but more of a meal set with several side dishes, served in similar fashion tonasi campur ornasi Bali. It is a combination of several Javanese favourite dishes—each often prepared and cooked separately—and combined in a single plate prior to serving. The rich combination of flavourful dishes demonstrates the festive nature of the dish, which is traditionally consumed during Cap go meh in Java. The components oflontong cap go meh are:
Chinese cuisine's influences on Indonesian cuisine are evident in Indonesian take on Chinese dishes, such asmie goreng, lumpia,bakso andsiomay. However, the culinary influences also took another way around.Peranakan Chinese Indonesian cuisine has also been influenced by native Indonesian cuisine. It is believed thatlontong cap go meh is a Peranakan Chinese Indonesian take on traditional Indonesian dishes.
Early Chinese immigrants in Indonesia settled in northern coastal cities ofJava, such asSemarang,Pekalongan, Lasem,Tuban andSurabaya, as early asMajapahit period. During that time only male Chinese settled in Java and they intermarried with localJavanese women and created a Javanese-Chinese Peranakan culture. These early Chinese immigrants became accustomed to the cooking of their Javanese wives. To celebrateChinese New Year, during Cap go meh, Peranakan of Java replaced the traditionalyuanxiao (rice ball) with locallontong accompanied with an array of Javanese dishes such asopor ayam andsambal goreng ati (spicy beef liver). It is believed that the dish reflect the assimilation among Chinese immigrants and local Javanese community.[2] It is believed thatlontong cap go meh is full of good fortune symbols; the thick rice cake is considered richer compared to thin waterybubur (ricecongee) which is often regarded as food of the poor. The elongated form oflontong also symbolizes longevity. While eggs symbolize good fortune and yellowish turmeric-coconut milk broth represents gold and fortune.[2]
Lontong cap go meh was strictly a Peranakan-Javanese phenomena; Peranakans in the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo are not familiar with this dish.[2] It is commonly associated with Imlek traditions of Chinese Indonesians in Javan cities, especially Semarang. SinceBetawi people (nativeJakartans) were also heavily influenced by Chinese Indonesian Peranakan culture,lontong cap go meh is also considered as part ofBetawi cuisine.
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