Rijsttafel

An elaboraterijsttafel in a restaurant inThe Hague, Netherlands
Alternative names	Rice table
Course	Main course
Place of origin	Indonesia
Region or state	Indonesia,Netherlands andBelgium
Serving temperature	Hot or room temperature
Main ingredients	Rice with various side dishes
Variations	nasi campur,nasi rames (Indo)
Other information	It is more a lavish banquet than a dish, popular in theNetherlands
Media: Rijsttafel

Rijsttafel (/ˈraɪstɑːfəl/RY-stah-fəl,Dutch:[ˈrɛistaːfəl]^ⓘ literally "rice table") is an elaborateIndonesian meal adapted by theDutch from thehidang presentation ofnasi padang from thePadang region ofWest Sumatra.^[1] It consists of many (forty is not an unusual number)side dishes in small portions, accompanied by rice prepared in several different ways. Popular side dishes includeegg rolls,sambals,satay, fish, fruit, vegetables,pickles, and nuts. In most areas where it is served, such as theNetherlands and other areas of strong Dutch influence (such as parts of theWest Indies), it is known by its Dutch name.

Although the dishes served are undoubtedlyIndonesian, therijsttafel’s origins werecolonial. The Dutch introduced the rice table to both enjoy a wide array of dishes at a single sitting, and it to impress visitors with the exotic abundance of theircolonial empire.^[2]

Rijsttafels strive to feature a range of not only flavours, colours, and degrees of spiciness, but alsotextures – an aspect rarely discussed in Western gastronomy^{[dubious –discuss]} but a common consideration in Asian cuisines. Such textures may include crispy, chewy, slippery, soft, hard, velvety, gelatinous, and runny.

Therijsttafel was created as a festive and official banquet meant to show the multi-ethnic nature of the then-Dutch East Indies. Dishes were assembled from many far-flung regions where different cuisines exist, often particular to some of the over 300 ethnolinguistic and cultural groups on an island or island group — from Javanese favouritesateh,tempeh andseroendeng, to vegetarian cuisinegado-gado andlodeh withsamballalab fromBatavia andPreanger, spicyrendang andgulai curry from theMinangkabau lands in Sumatra, to ubiquitous East Indies dishesnasi goreng,soto ayam, andkroepoek crackers. Also included were Indonesian dishes with hybrid influence, such as Chinesebabi ketjap,loempia, andbami to Europeanbeef smoor.

During its centuries of popularity in Dutch East Indies, lines of servants orsarong-clad waitresses ceremoniously served the marathon meal on platters laden with steaming bowls of fragrant foods. The first to be served was a cone-shaped pile of rice on a large platter, placed in the center of the table. The servers then surrounded the rice platter with as many as 40 small bowls holding meat and vegetable dishes, as well as condiments. During its colonial heyday until theJapanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies in 1942, the most celebratedrijsttafel in the colony were served for Sunday luncheon at theHotel des Indes inBatavia and theSavoy Homann Hotel inBandung, where the rice was accompanied by up to sixty different dishes.^[3]

Brought back to the Netherlands by former colonials, exiled Indonesians, andIndo-Europeans (Eurasians) after Indonesiagained independence in 1945, therijsttafel was predominantly popular with Dutch families of colonial origin. At the same time,Indonesian nationalism promoted rejection of Dutch colonial culture and customs, including the flamboyant rice table. Today, the rice table format has practically disappeared from Indonesia's restaurants and is found in only a handful of fine-dining establishments in the country. A typicalrijsttafel will have several tables laden with different dishes; in some elaborate settings in Indonesia, each dish may be served by a separate waitress.

Since about 1990, Indonesian food has become part of a mainstream interest inSoutheast Asian cuisine, and there has been a proliferation of Indonesian restaurants in the Netherlands.

The following is a brief, albeit not exhaustive, list of foods which may be served in arijsttafel:

• Acar – pickled vegetables
• Babi kecap –pork bellybraised in sweetsoy sauce common in the Netherlands; Indonesia has ahalal version using a beef variant known assemur
• Babi panggang – roast pork in a tomato-based sauce
• Bebekbetutu – duck roasted in banana leaves
• Bebek Peking – Chinese-style roast duck
• Capcay – stir-fried vegetables
• Empal gentong – curry-like beef soup
• Gado-gado – vegetables (cooked or fresh) withpeanut sauce (sambal kacang)
• Gudeg – youngjackfruit withpalm sugar andcoconut milk
• Karedok –vegetable salad inpeanut sauce
• Krupuk –chips
• Lemper – rice rolls with spicy filling
• Lumpia –spring rolls
• Nasi goreng –fried rice
• Nasi kuning – Indonesian yellow rice
• Nasi uduk – Javanese steamed rice in coconut milk
• Opor ayam – chicken coconut curry
• Pecel – vegetable salad in peanut sauce
• Perkedel – meat and potato patties
• Pisang goreng – bananafritters
• Rawon – beef soup blackened withkeluak
• Rendang – aromatic and spicy caramelised beef, braised in coconut milk, chillies, and spices
• Sambal iris – onion, tomato, and chilli paste
• Sambal kacang –peanut sauce
• Sambal ulek – spicy chilli paste
• Satay (also spelledsaté,sate, orsateh) – various thinly sliced meats, marinated, then broiled on askewer; variants aresate ayam (chicken);sate babi (pork);sate lilit (seafood)
• Sayur lodeh – spicy vegetable stew in coconut milk
• Semur daging – a stew of beef braised in sweet soy sauce stew
• Serundeng – peanuts with sautéed shredded coconut
• Tahu telur –tofuomelette
• Telur balado –hardboiled eggs sautéed in chilli sauce
• Telur bumbu Bali – hardboiled eggs sautéed in aBalinese spice mixture

Despite its popularity in the Netherlands and abroad, therijsttafel is rarely found in Indonesia. This is due to most Indonesian meals consist of rice accompanied by only one to three dishes, mostly consisting oflauk (fish, chicken, meat, egg, or other source of protein),sayur (vegetable), and other side dishes. To consume more than that number of dishes at once (as arijsttafel might have from seven to forty dishes) is considered too extravagant and expensive. The closest versions to rice table dishes readily available in Indonesia are localnasi Padang andnasi campur. However, in Indonesian restaurants around the world, especially inBelgium, the Netherlands, andSouth Africa, therijsttafel is still popular.

In Indonesia, only a handful of dining establishments ceremoniously serve elaborate colonial-stylerijsttafel, such as select upscale restaurants mainly inJakarta. In July 2011, Indonesianflag carrierGaruda Indonesia began serving Indonesianrijsttafel in Executive Class as its signature, in-flight service.^[4] This presentation format was meant to introduce passengers to the diversity ofIndonesian cuisine in a single setting as part of Garuda Indonesia experience. The in-flight Indonesianrijsttafel includesnasi kuning or regularsteamed rice, accompanied with a choice of dishes such assatay,rendang,gado-gado, grilled chicken rica,red snapper in yellowacar sauce, fried shrimp insambal, potatoperkedel andtempeh, along withkerupuk orrempeyek crackers.^[5][6]

• List of rice dishes
• Smorgasbord – Buffet-style meal of Swedish origin

• Hulupi, Maria Endah. "Rijstafel: finding enough room for all those dishes" (archived 5 November 2003).The Jakarta Post. October 29, 2003.

• Dutch fusion cuisine
• Dutch words and phrases
• Indonesian fusion cuisine
• Indonesian rice dishes
• Meals

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