Indonesia is a country that is always visited by tourists from various countries every year. Many foreign tourists are interested in visiting Indonesia because Indonesia has a variety of cultures and beautiful places that are scattered in various regions and are still preserved. Some of the places most frequently visited by tourists include Bali, Yogyakarta, Lombok, Sulawesi, Kalimantan and Papua. In addition, in Indonesia, there are also several destinations that have been named the 7 wonders of the world, namely Komodo National Park or commonly called Komodo Island in East Nusa Tenggara and Borobudur Temple in Magelang (Central Java). Komodo Island, which is located in the Labuan Bajo area of East Nusa Tenggara, has many types of flora and fauna that inhabit the Komodo National Park area, making it one of the World Heritage Sites and Man and Biosphere Reserves by UNESCO in 1986. Then in 2013, Komodo National Park was named one of the 7 natural wonders of the world (wisato.id, n.d.). Temporary Borobudur Temple itself was once included in the 7 wonders of the world. From the Unesco.org page, this historic building from Indonesia was listed in 1995, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2009. Borobudur Temple is located on the island of Java. This temple is on a hilltop which was built between 780 and 840 AD. Borobudur was built during the reign of the Syailendra dynasty (Dwi Latifatul Fajri, 2021). In addition to Borobudur temple, there are many temple buildings left over from various kingdoms. The majority of these temple buildings are found in the areas of Java and Yogyakarta.
The Yogyakarta area itself is indeed famous for the charm of the city which is rich in arts and tourist areas.This city also has the nickname as a student city because of the many universities in it. Many people visit Yogyakarta to continue their education, take vacations to enjoy natural attractions such as beaches, mountains, temples and take walks in the middle of the city such as to Malioboro and the square. And there are also tourists who visit to explore the city and learn about its culture that is still preserved. Traveling itself is an activity to visit a new area to get to know more about the area. Whether it’s in the form of tourist attractions, culture and culinary in it. Culinary in the Yogyakarta area is very diverse and tastes spicy, salty, sweet and savory. Among the many types of culinary, here are 5 culinary recommendations that must be tasted when traveling to Yogyakarta.
The first is Gudeg. This gudeg is a typical food from Yogyakarta which tends to be sweet. Gudeg is generally made from young jackfruit cooked with coconut milk and is brown in color, in addition to young jackfruit vegetables in it there are also chicken, eggs, tempeh and tofu. Although it has a fairly strong sweet taste, gudeg is usually served with krecek which has a spicy taste so it is very delicious when eaten with warm white rice. There are many gudeg sellers in Yogyakarta and they are very easy to find, from small stalls to hotel restaurants, almost always a gudeg menu in it, even some gudeg brands that have been around for a dozen years and are sought after by tourists.
Next, the second one is the culinary satay klatak. Satay klatak is made from mutton, this satay klatak is also different from satay in general. The difference is the klatak satay pieces which are usually larger and the skewers using bicycle iron bars. The term Satay Klatak comes from the sound produced when the satay is roasted. The sound of “tak…tak…tak” is produced from a splash of salt that is poured into the coals above the stove (ditwdb, 2019). In one serving of satay klatak, usually only 2 to 4 skewers will be served because the size is larger than the usual satay. In addition, sate klatak is also served with a side sauce that will be very delicious when eaten with lontong or warm white rice.
Then the third one is the culinary oseng mercon. Has a spicy taste that is quite strong, for lovers of this culinary spicy taste a must try. Made from beef fat which is processed with special spices and lots of chili in it. That’s why this dish is called mercon because of its strong spicy taste. But now oseng mercon has many variations, not only beef fat but also made from chicken. This dish is very suitable to be enjoyed at night and eaten with warm rice.
Then the fourth one is Javanese noodle culinary. Bakmi Jawa is a dish that is available in the afternoon until the evening. Bakmi Jawa is made from noodles cooked with special spices and mostly uses free-range chicken in the mix. Bakmi Jawa can be found in various places in Yogyakarta, from small traders to restaurants, almost all serving Javanese noodles. In the presentation there are 2 types of Javanese noodles, namely Javanese noodles with soup and fried Javanese noodles (without sauce). Both have a distinctive taste and are equally delicious.
The last or fifth there is culinary mangut catfish. Mangut catfish is a culinary dish that is cooked from catfish which has previously been processed by smoking or frying and then cooked with coconut and given a special seasoning that is rich in spices in it so that it produces a delicious taste. Mangut catfish usually has a savory spicy taste that will be very delicious when eaten with warm white rice.
Of the 5 recommended dishes above, the five are heavy foods that come from Yogyakarta and have a special taste of each type. The majority of food in Indonesia is enjoyed together with white rice as a carbohydrate. Because most foods are cooked with strong spices so it will be very suitable when eaten together with carbohydrates such as white rice which does not have a strong taste and does not interfere with the taste of the main dish.
With a variety of recommended culinary delights, it is hoped that in the future it can increase the interest of increasing tourist visits to Yogyakarta. Because as we know the pandemic for 2 years had made several tourist destinations closed so that tourist visits were also reduced. It is hoped that with the loosening of regulations because the pandemic is starting to subside, it is hoped that the community’s economic conditions will be restored through the tourism and culinary sectors so that the community’s economic conditions can also return to normal. As well as the government, the community and tourists who visit tourist attractions can maintain the surrounding environment so that it is not damaged and can be enjoyed by our children and grandchildren in the future.
