Indonesia is an agrarian country where most people’s livelihood is agriculture. Having a large area of land and many islands makes Indonesia a country with abundant natural resources. With these various advantages, Indonesia has become a country that has many unique characteristics and things. Besides having famous tourist destinations such as Bali, Lombok, Jogja, Komodo Island, Raja Ampat, etc. In the culinary field, Indonesia is no less interesting and has many unique characteristics, one of which is a strong taste in each of its cuisines, because Indonesian cuisine is known to have a composition of different kinds of various spices. Some examples of Indonesian delicacies known around the world due to their delicious taste and rich in spices include rendang, seatede, rawon, gudeg, fried rice, etc. In fact, each region of Indonesia has a distinctive and distinctive spice taste. This makes Indonesia one of the culinary rich countries that attracts many tourists to visit and vacation.
However, apart from a variety of world-famous menus and people’s passion for spices, there is another peculiarity that is always linked to Indonesian cuisine. This is where in almost all parts of Indonesia, the majority of people enjoy sambal. sambal is also found in other Asian countries, but every country that has sambal must have its own distinctive taste. Meanwhile, in Indonesia, sambal is a side dish that is usually eaten to give it a distinctive spicy taste. Although sambal is not the main menu of a dish, its presence will be very complementary when served in a dish. However, it is possible that in some sambal menus, it can also be cooked with proteins or vegetables to serve as a main dish. There are different types of sambal in Indonesia and each type of sambal has a unique taste characteristic, some are spicy sour, spicy sweet, spicy salty, etc. sambal is very easy to find in Indonesia, in addition to being served in all homes, sambal is almost always available in any restaurant in Indonesia. This is another peculiarity of Indonesia where the majority of people will feel incomplete if they eat without sambal on their plate.
The manufacturing process sambal there are 2, first sambal in which all the ingredients are finely ground into one and the second is sambal in which all the ingredients are not crushed but cut into small and fine shapes. With these two different manufacturing processes, sambal is able to provide a distinct and unique taste when consumed. Based on research from Gadjah Mada University reported by viva.co.id, the total number of chili recipes in Indonesia reaches 322 kinds of traditional dishes. sambal. This sambal is divided into two with a total of 119 kinds of raw materials sambal and 138 types of ready meals sambal (Audy Ramadhani, 2019). Generally, the main ingredients used in the manufacturing process of this sambal are chilli, garlic and flavorings. Who then in each region of Indonesia will add special additives so that the taste of each sauce will taste different. Some additional ingredients that can be added include: shallots, lemongrass, tomatoes, shrimp paste, anchovies, oil, etc. Due to the addition of various types of ingredients, Indonesia offers different types of sambal which vary, among the many types of sambal in Indonesia, here are some of the most famous sambalonion sambalshrimp sambaltomato sambalgreen sambal, sambal matahmango sambal and sambal dabu-dabu. Onion sambal is a sambal made with the basic ingredients mentioned above, namely chilli, garlic and seasoning. Shrimp sambal is a sambal which is added with shrimp paste. Tomato sambal is a sauce that is added with tomatoes so that it is not too spicy but still delicious. Green sambal is a sambal made with green chili as the main ingredient. sambalmatah (a typical Balinese sambal) is a type of sambal in which all the ingredients are cut into small fine pieces, the ingredients used in making this sambal are chilli, shallots, garlic, lemongrass, lime leaves, flavorings and oil. Mango sambal is a sambal made from young mangoes. Then there is also sambal dabu-dabu (a typical sambal from the Manado region) featuring a type of raw chili made by cutting it into small, fine pieces, the ingredients used in dabu-dabu sauce include red chili peppers, tomatoes, onions, green onions and lemons.
In Indonesia itself,sambal connoisseurs are not only eaten by adults, but there are children who can already eat sambal but always under the supervision of an adult or a parent. Besides children, there are also teenagers and the elderly, some also like to eat with sambal as a side dish. However, in daily consumption, it is hoped that each person can experience the limits of their ability to tolerate spicy tastes. This is because sambal has a chilli base, with the majority of the chilli having a strong spicy taste. It is therefore expected that the consumption of chilli itself will be within the limits of each person’s abilities. Because if you eat too much sambal or eat sambal beyond its limits, it can cause stomach upset like diarrhea. Therefore, consuming sambal in moderation is the best action that can be taken to avoid this. With sufficient and not excessive consumption then naturally the pepper will not have a negative impact on the body.
In this modern era, sambal is still a favorite side dish of Indonesians and tourists who visit Indonesia and then get to know sambal and as its distinctive taste. In its development, sambal has also kept up with its times, especially with the number of entrepreneurs who have taken advantage of this opportunity by making sambal in instant packaging so you can take it on the go and not have to worry about looking for ingredients or making it yourself. Every company that produces instantly sambal also has a unique taste in each company’s recipe as it has been adapted to the tastes of their customers. This can make it easier for chili lovers when they travel abroad or to areas where there is no sambal to still be able to enjoy chili.
In the future, I hope sambal of Indonesia can become one of the culinary delights that can be exported abroad and can become famous like other Indonesian cuisines and be recognized as rendered. So that people from other countries can know and know more about the taste of sambal it is typical of Indonesia. Thus, it can have a positive impact on economic progress and can increase tourist visits for the country. To achieve this, the cooperation of various parties and promotions is needed so that they can support chili products or sambal typical of Indonesia to enter the international market.
