Ikan bakar is anIndonesian andMalay dish, prepared withcharcoal-grilled fish or other forms of seafood.Ikan bakar literally means "grilled fish" in theIndonesian andMalay languages. Ikan bakar differs from other grilled fish dishes in that it often contains flavorings likebumbu,kecap manis, andsambal, and is covered in a banana leaf and cooked on a charcoal fire.
In 2024,TasteAtlas ranked ikan bakar as one of the best seafood dishes in the world.[2]
Grilling is one of the oldest and earliest cooking methods to preparefish.Freshwater fish and seafood are among the main source of protein intake for the inhabitants of islands. Naturally, this method is immensely popular and quite widespread in the maritime realm of theIndonesian archipelago. Thus the grilled-barbecued fish is regarded as a classic dish of Indonesian cuisine.[3][4]
As an archipelagic nation,ikan bakar is very popular inIndonesia and is commonly found in many places, from an Acehnese beach to a restaurant perched overKupang's harbour in East Nusa Tenggara, to the center of Jakarta's business district.[3] Various specific versions exist, includingSundaneseikan bakar Cianjur,[5] which is usually grilled freshwater fish, such as carp andgourami, andBalineseikan bakar Jimbaran, freshly grilled seafood fish inwarung clustered nearJimbaran beach and fish market inBali.[6] Barbecued seafood, however, is especially popular inSulawesi andMaluku, where most of the people work as fishermen, and both areas have vast seas which bring them different kinds of seafood.[7] Usually, the fish ismarinated with a mixture of spice pastes, sometimes withbelacan orkecap manis (sweet soy sauce), and thengrilled, sometimes protected with a sheet ofbanana leaf placed between the seafood and grill to avoid the fish being stuck to the grill and broken to pieces.[7]
Padang styleikan bakar served in richspices with reddish color.
The fish is usually marinated with a mixture ofsweet soy sauce andcoconut oil ormargarine, applied with abrush during grilling. The spice mixture may vary among regions and places, but usually it consists of a combination of groundshallot, garlic,chili pepper,coriander,tamarind juice,candlenut,turmeric,galangal and salt.[8] InJava and most of Indonesia, ikan bakar usually tastes rather sweet because the generous amount of sweet soy sauce either as marination or dipping sauce.[9] It is commonly consumed with steamed rice and the sweet sticky soy sauce poured over finely chopped green chilies and shallots.[3] The ikan bakar of Minangkabau (Padang), most ofSumatra and alsoMalay Peninsula are usually spicier and yellow-reddish in colour because of the generous amount of chili pepper, turmeric and other spices, and the absence of sweet soy sauce.[10]
There are many variants of ikan bakar, differ from the recipes of marinate spices, dipping sauces orsambals, to the species of fishes being grilled. Almost all kinds of edible fish and seafood can be made intoikan bakar, the most popular are freshwatergourami,patin andikan mas, to seafoodtongkol orcakalang,bawal,tenggiri,kuwe,baronang,kerapu,kakap merah (red snapper), andpari (stingray).[14] Some of the popular forms of seafood besides fish includesotong (squid), andudang (shrimp).
Enjoyingikan bakar or grilled fish on a beach is a popular culinary itinerary during a visit to popular Indonesian tourism destinations; such asJimbaran orSanur beach in Bali,[15] Losari beach inMakassar, and Muara Karang harbor in Jakarta.
In Indonesia,ikan bakar might be consumed any day throughout the year. However, in recent years, barbecuing fish and grillingcorn cobs has grown to become a tradition on celebrating New Year's Eve.[16][17]Ikan bakar andjagung bakar has become a New Year'sbarbecue party essentials among Indonesians.[18]
