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.JPG) Rujak in a stone mortar | |
| Alternative names | Lotis |
|---|---|
| Type | Salad |
| Place of origin | Indonesia[1] |
| Region or state | Java |
| Associatedcuisine | Indonesia,Malaysia,Singapore |
| Serving temperature | Fresh, in room temperature |
| Main ingredients | Fruits, vegetables, palm sugar, peanuts, chilli dressing |
Rujak (Indonesian spelling) orrojak (Malay spelling) is a salad dish ofJavanese origin, commonly found in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore.[2][3] The most popular variant in all three countries is composed of a mixture of sliced fruit and vegetables and served with a spicypalm sugar dressing.[4]
There is a variety of preparations, especially inIndonesian cuisine, and rujak is widely available throughout the country. The most common variant is primarily composed of fruits and vegetables, and its sweet and tangy dressing is often made withshrimp paste. Some recipes may contain seafood or meat components, especially in Malaysia and Singapore, where a notable variant shows influence fromIndian Muslim cuisine.
According to the Dutch missionaryPetrus Josephus Zoetmulder, the word "rujak" comes from theOld Javanese wordanrujak orrinujak, which means "to chop into little pieces". Alternatively, its origin may be the wordrurujak, meaning a mixture of chopped unripe fruit,[5] as attested in the ancient Taji Inscriptions (901 CE) from the era of theMataram kingdom in Central Java.[6]
The dish was later introduced to other regions and neighboring countries by the Javanese diaspora as well as by Indian migrants from Java. In Malaysia and Singapore, it is spelled "rojak".[7][8]
In Indonesia, particularly among theJavanese, the sweet, spicy, and sour tastes of rujak are popular among pregnant women; this craving for unripemango and other sour-tasting fruits is known asngidham ornyidham in Javanese.[9] In Javanese culture, rujak is an essential part of the traditionalprenatal ceremony callednaloni mitoni ortujuh bulanan (literally: "seventh month") and is meant to wish the mother-to-be a safe, smooth, and successfullabour.[10] The recipe for this ceremony is similar to typical fruit rujak, with the exceptions that the fruits are roughly shredded instead of thinly sliced, and thatjeruk bali (pomelo/pinkgrapefruit) is an essential ingredient. Javanese people believe that if the rujak tastes sweet, the child will be a girl, and if it is spicy, it will be a boy.[11]
Mangarabar, or rujak-making, is a special event for theBatak andMandailing people of Tapanuli,North Sumatra, following a harvest, with entire villages getting involved.[12]
In Malaysia and Singapore, "rojak" is also used as a colloquial expression for an eclectic mix, in particular as a word describing the multiethnic character of the two societies.[13][7][14]
In Indonesia,rujak buah is also known asrujak manis (sweet rujak). The typical Indonesian fruit rujak consists of slices of assorted tropical fruits, such aswater apple,pineapple, unripemango,jícama,cucumber,kedondong, andsweet potato. Sometimes, variants of green apple,bilimbi, andpomelo are added. The sweet and spicy rujak dressing is made of water,palm sugar,tamarind, crushed peanuts,shrimp paste (known locally aspetis), salt, andbird's eye chili.
The fruits are cut into bite-sized pieces,[15] and the dressing is poured on top. An addition ofsambal garam powder (a mixture of salt and ground red chilli) is offered on the side for a saltier flavor. Javanese people call this version of rujaklotis.[16]
Rujak bagan is a typical dish ofBagansiapiapi, Riau, locally known aslolia.[17] It consists of pineapple, prawnfritters, cucumber, andbean sprouts.[18]
Rujak bakso, orbakso rujak, is a fusion dish between rujak andbakso. InMalang, the dish is made using a mixture of noodles,water spinach,menjes,tofu, and meatballs, sprinkled with seasoning made from peanuts, chilies, andpetis, and doused withbakso soup.[19] InEast Jakarta,bakso rujak is made with cucumber, mango,kedondong, jícama, guava, papaya, pineapple, andstarfruit. The fruits are cut into pieces and doused inbakso and rujak sauce.[20]
InBrebes, a version of rujak calledrujak belut is common, consisting of friedeel smeared with sambal and served with fresh choppedshallot and tomato.[21]
Rujak bulung is a traditional dish from Bali containingseaweed mixed withfish sauce, grated coconut, gratedgalangal, and seasoning made from salt, sugar, chili peppers, and shrimp paste.[22]
Cingur (pronounced "ching-ur") literally means "mouth" inJavanese.[citation needed] This variant of rujak originates fromSurabaya and has a meaty taste, as it contains slices of cookedbuffalo or cow lips, jícama, unripe mango, pineapple, cucumber,kangkung (water spinach),lontong rice cake, tofu, andtempeh, all served in a blackpetis sauce, and crushed peanuts. It is topped with a sprinkle of fried shallots andkrupuk prawn crackers.[23]
This version of rujak is made from a hollowed-out cucumber filled with apetis sauce.[24]
Rujak cuka literally means "vinegar rujak". It is a speciality ofSundanese cuisine of West Java, noted for its sourness. It is made of shredded fruits such as pineapple and unripe mango, and vegetables such as jícama, cabbage, bean sprouts, and cucumber. It is similar toasinan, due to its sour and spicy dressing, since both dishes contain vinegar, palm sugar, and chilli.[25]
Rujak ebi is a fruit rujak containingebi (dried shrimp) andemping crackers. It is a delicacy ofSingkawang, West Kalimantan.[26]
A specialty dessert fromYogyakarta, this dish consists of fruit rujak and coconut ice cream, served with sambal.[27]
Rujak gamel is a specialty rujak of Gamel village inCirebon Regency, West Java. It consists of noodles, boiled water spinach, cabbage, tofu, fritter,eggplant, and wetkrupuk.[28]
Rujak gobet is usually served on special occasions such as thetelonan ortingkepan celebrations of pregnant women. Various types of fruits, such as jícama, pineapple, starfruit, and guava are included, but especially youngjackfruit, locally known asbabal.[29]
Juhi meanssaltedcuttlefish in Indonesian.[citation needed] This variety of rujak contains fried tofu, fried boiled potatoes, fried shredded salted cuttlefish, cucumber, noodles, lettuce, cabbage, peanut sauce, vinegar, chilli, and fried garlic. It originates from theChinese community in Batavia (nowJakarta).[30]
Rujak kambang consists ofrice vermicelli, cucumber, unripe mango, unripe papaya, as well as other fruit, seasoned with a thin sauce consisting of fish broth andpetis as well as salt and vinegar.[31]
Rujak kangkung is made from water spinach, sweet spicy sambal, and krupuk. It is a delicacy fromKuningan, West Java.[32]
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Rujak kembang katis, orrujak bunga pepaya, originates fromBangka Island. It consists ofcassava leaves and papaya flowers as well as other vegetables, together with peanut sauce.[33]
Rujak kuah pindang is a popular street food inBali,[34] where instead of the normal dressing, the fruits are soaked in a spiced fish broth, which consists ofterasi shrimp paste, salt, bird's eye chilli, red chilli, andpindang fish broth.[35]
Commonly found inCirebon, West Java, this dish, whose name means "to pour", is made with peanut sauce and spicy sour sauce. It includes water spinach, cucumber, bean sprouts,asparagus beans, cabbage, different types of noodles,bitter melon, and papaya leaves.[36]
Rujak mie is a dish fromPalembang, consisting of noodles, tofu, slices ofpempek, cucumber, lettuce, and sweet spicy broth.[37]
Taken from the name of the beach where the dish is sold, inAmbon, Maluku, this rujak is made with various fruits and vegetables, including rose apples, mangos, pineapples, starfruit, cucumbers, and sweet potatoes, as well asnutmeg andtomi-tomi.[38] The topping sauce is made with coarsely ground fried peanuts and palm sugar.[39]
Pengantin means "bride-and-groom pair" in Indonesian. This variant of rujak contains slices of boiled eggs, potatoes, fried tofu, pineapple, carrot, bean sprouts, pickles, chilli, lettuce, cabbage, cucumber, emping crackers, roasted peanuts, peanut sauce, and vinegar.[40]
Another variant from Surabaya[citation needed] andPonorogo Regency,[41]rujak petis contains slices of jícama, unripe mango, cucumber, water spinach,kedondong, tofu, andsoybean sprouts, all served in a blackpetis sauce, fried shallots, salt, palm sugar, unripe banana, and crushed peanuts.[41]
Rujak selingkuh, which originates inSumenep, Madura, contains a mix of fruits with peanut sauce andsoto soup, to which are added vegetables, rice vermicelli, andlontong.[42]
Literally meaning "shaved rujak",rujak serut consists of similar ingredients as standardrujak buah, with the difference being that the fruits are not cut into bite-sized pieces but shredded into a roughly grated consistency.[43]
This version of rujak was created by Indonesia's Chinese community inKota Tua Jakarta. It contains seafood, boiled sliced octopus,jellyfish, and water spinach, and is served with thick redsweet and sour sauce, mixed with pineapple juice and toasted crushed peanuts. Chilli sauce and pickled jícama are often served as condiments.[44]
A rujak dish fromMadura,siwil is made from wheat flour,tapioca flour, garlic, and spices. Generally,siwil dough will be put into long plastic tubes and boiled first. It can additionally be fried with flour or simply cut and served with rujak seasoning made of a fishpetis sauce.[45]
A dish fromBanyuwangi, East Java, this is a blend of beef soto andrujak cingur, in which the vegetables (water spinach and bean sprouts) are served withlontong in apetis sauce poured over soto soup.[46]
Rujak tahu is a variant of rujak that contains tofu and was created inMajalengka Regency in the 1970s.[47] The sauce combines vinegar, sambal, and sweet soy sauce.[48]
InTegal Regency,rujak teplak is a common variety of rujak consisting of vegetables such as water spinach, cabbage, bean sprouts,asparagus beans, papaya leaves, cassava leaves, and banana blossoms, smeared with spicy sauce made from chilli, peanuts, and cassava. The dish is served with a noodle cracker calledkerupuk mie.[49]
This version of rujak is fromLombok and consists of slices of fruits such as mango, june plum, pineapple, and papaya, mixed with sambal containing roasted shrimp paste.[50]
Also from Surabaya,rujak tolet includes fried tofu, fried garlic, and optionally, beef tendons. The sauce ispetis-based, mixed with palm sugar, slices of raw bird's eye chilli, and sweet soy sauce.[51]
This is another variant of Indonesian fruit rujak, from West Java.[52] The ingredients are almost the same, except that they are ground or mashed together (tumbuk orbēbēk in Indonesian) in a woodenmortar. The fruits include greenplantain, rawred yam, jícama, apple,kedondong, and unripe mango. The dressing is not poured on the fruit but mixed in. Traditionally,rujak tumbuk was served on banana leaf plates calledpincuk, though nowadays, it is more often served in plastic cups.[citation needed]
A delicacy fromAceh province, this rujak consists of very young and tender coconut meat, young (green) papaya, bird's eye chili, sugar, palm sugar, ice, salt, and a dash of lime.[53]
| This sectionneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Rojak" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(April 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
In Malaysia and Singapore, fruit rojak typically consists of cucumber, pineapple, jícama, bean sprouts,taupok (puffy, deep-fried tofu) and cut-upyoutiao (Chinese-style fritters).[13] The dressing is made of water, shrimp paste, sugar, chilli, and lime juice. Ingredients vary among vendors, with some addingtamarind or black bean paste to the mix. The ingredients are cut into bite-sized portions and tossed in a bowl with the dressing, and topped with crushed peanuts and a dash of ground or slicedtorch ginger.
A popular variant found inPenang, Malaysia, isrojak Penang, which adds water apple,guava, squid fritters, and honey to the mixture, and emphasizes the use of tart fruits such as unripe mangoes and green apples, while bean sprouts and fried tofu puffs are usually omitted.[54] The dressing tends to be very thick, with an almosttoffee-like consistency.[55]
In Malaysia,mamak rojak (also known as Indian rojak, orpasembur) is associated withmamak stalls, which areMalaysian Indian Muslim food stalls.[56][dead link] The dish contains fried dough fritters, tofu, boiled potatoes, prawn fritters, hard-boiled eggs, bean sprouts, cuttlefish, and cucumber, mixed with a sweet, thick, spicy peanut sauce.[56] In the northwestern states ofPeninsular Malaysia, such as Penang, andKedah, it is always calledpasembur, while inKuala Lumpur, it is calledrojak mamak.[citation needed]
In Singapore, Indian rojak consists of an assortment of potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, tofu, and prawn fritters, often colorfully dyed. Customers typically select their favorite items from a display, after which they are heated up in awok, chopped up, and served with a sweet and spicy peanut and chilli sauce on the side for dipping.[57]
A Singaporean dish known asrojak bandung contains cuttlefish, water spinach, cucumber, tofu, peanuts, chilli, and sauce.[58][59] Rojak bandung has no relation to the Indonesian city ofBandung; in the Malay language, the termbandung means "pairs".[60]
Rojak sotong contains cuttlefish or squid, with peanut sauce.[61]
Media related toRojak at Wikimedia Commons
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