‘Pea soup served over rice with sambal oelek? That is not ‘Indies’ cuisine!
I get a similar response from people when I tell them that this “Indisch” cuisine offers its version of macaroni and cheese. Some frown when I explain that “Frikandel pan,” (a meatloaf dish) and “Hussars salad” with beets are also “Indisch.” This may come to some as a culinary culture shock.
In the Netherlands, terms like “Indonesian, Indisch, or Chinese-Indisch” are often used interchangeably regarding their food. This causes much confusion, although these cuisines appear similar, they each underwent different evolutions, and as such deserve their separate places in the culinary history of the Netherlands.
The word Indisch does not refer to the Republic of Indonesia or India in this article. The adjective Indies (Indisch in Dutch) is derived from East India, once known as the Netherlands East Indies, and signifies the sub-culture and the people with roots in the former colony of the Netherlands. Even though it refers to a different period and a country that no longer exists, the people, the customs, the food, and the eating habits that came from there, still do. Outside of the Netherlands, when referring to the people of Eurasian descent, its culture, and food, the following terms are used in English; Dutch-Indonesian, Indo-European, or Indo-Dutch (or Indo people or food).
Dutch-Indonesian cuisine is one of the oldest fusion cuisines in the world. Internationally, little is known about this culinary treasure, coming from the country also known as the Emerald Belt. Does the lavish Rijsttafel sound familiar? If you have visited the Netherlands or have come into contact with the Dutch it just might. Translated as ‘Rice Table’, the Rijsttafel is a spread of 10 to 20 (sometimes even more) exotic dishes served with rice. The Rijsttafel is served with pride to the International public as part of Dutch national cuisine. Some refer to it as Indonesian Rijsttafel and others call it the Dutch Rijsttafel. It should be called Dutch-Indonesian (Indische) Rijsttafel, part of the culinary heritage of our colonial past. Indisch cooking and the Indische Rijsttafel are officially part of Dutch cultural heritage. Read more about that here.
Unfortunately, ill-informed people in the Netherlands, including self-proclaimed culinary connoisseurs, simply refer to the fusion cuisine as Indonesian, bluntly denying the existence of a unique cuisine that has formed over 350 years of colonial intimacy between the two countries. Some say: “Indonesian or Dutch Indonesian, what’s in a name? Let’s not argue over semantics!” I say: “Get your facts straight!”
The confusion is understandable. After all, this cuisine was born hundreds of years ago in the geographical area now called Indonesia. However, the rich Dutch-Indonesian cuisine has its unique dishes. It includes not only a vast amount of native dishes borrowed from the various regions in Indonesia, but also selected Dutch dishes and a range of dishes with a European or Asian base, enriched and/or changed over time – a nice blend of indigenous and foreign ingredients, and cooking techniques. What began as a quest for the taste of home by the first Dutch traders who moved to the Spice Islands at the beginning of the 17th century, eventually evolved into one of the first fusion cuisines in the world, a cuisine in which the best of both worlds was united. It was born out of necessity, by creative cooks who had to look for substitutes when not all ingredients were available, trying to make the dishes they were used to eating in their home country. As a result, many new dishes were created, which also left their mark on Indonesian cuisine.
The Dutch and Indo people can be considered the best Ambassadors of Indonesian food. Outside of Indonesia, the Netherlands has the highest number of Indonesian fine-dining restaurants, take-out eateries, and grocery stores. Dutch-Indonesian dishes are mostly served in domestic circles, based on secret family recipes, and handed down from generation to generation. Some refer to this as a diaspora kitchen and “Classic Indonesian Cuisine” as the recipes that were documented represent the food customs up until the independence of Indonesia.
CHINESE INDISCH RESTAURANTS
The number of Indies grocery stores (tokos) and restaurants grew principally in The Hague. However, it was Oma who popularized authentic Indo-Dutch cuisine in the capital city of Amsterdam. At first, the better parts of her customers were students and people who enjoyed Indo-Dutch food out of a sense of nostalgia. In due course, more and more Dutch people became interested in the tastes of ethnic cuisine and gave the strong-flavored dishes a try. However, for many Dutch people, the Indo Dutch food was too spicy. Oma always said, “We won’t make concessions!” She didn’t feel it was necessary to pander to Dutch tastebuds.
This gave the already-established Chinese restaurateurs the lucrative chance to respond to the evolving Dutch eating habits and the increased demand for Indo Dutch (Indies) food. Indo Dutch-inspired dishes began appearing on the menus of Chinese restaurants. To make the transition easier, they did acquiesce to the plea of the Dutch: less strongly flavored and spicy food, and larger portions. Granted, the dishes were mostly prepared with Chinese cooking methods using less labor-intensive stir-fried dishes. Indo Dutch dishes were given a Chinese twist; they were somewhat bastardized: more oil, fewer seasonings, and the dishes were cooked fast and short, and adjusted for Dutch palates. As an example, satay was deep-fried instead of grilled. Things even went so far that it was commonly thought that nasi goreng with ham and a fried egg was an authentic Chinese dish. Many Chinese take-out restaurants added “-Indisch” after the word “Chinees”. And this is the origin of a new Asian fusion cuisine and culinary tradition in The Netherlands. The “Stichting Meer dan Babi Pangang” (Foundation More than Babi Pangang) aims to promote and preserve the rich culinary heritage of Chinese-Indonesian cuisine, which goes beyond the popular dish Babi Pangang. They also want it to be added to the National Inventory Cultural Heritage in the Netherlands. Read the interview they had with me here.
Oma Keasberry again: “Indo Dutch food, there are so many differences. We have the true Indo Dutch cuisine. Ours differs from Chinese-Indies, where it’s common to season like the Dutch, and a lot of oil is used. Just take my daughter-in-law, she cooks beautifully also. She also has a knack for cooking. We buy our spices here, imported, preferably fresh, like laos, djahé and all those other things we need, fresh and pricey from Surinaes. A Chinese-Indies restaurant is the same as a Bulgarian-Icelandic restaurant: that really can’t exist. Unless it’s a Chinese- Indo Dutch person, born in Indonesia. And only if he cooks as it was done back there.”
INDONESIAN CUISINE
This cuisine underwent a different evolution. The country is made up of thousands of islands and regions, each with its own cooking style, based upon their own ethnic culture and religion. However, Indonesian cuisine is also influenced by other countries, not only the ingredients, but also cooking techniques. Strictly speaking, one can only refer to Indonesian cuisine when in the country itself, and have access to its genuine, fresh ingredients. When canned or dried goods are used, it already tastes different. But now, in The Netherlands for instance, many ingredients from the authentic Indonesian kitchen are available both fresh and frozen. Over the course of time, Indo Dutch restaurant owners turned more and more towards authentic Indonesian cuisine. This was how they strove to distinguish themselves from Chinees-Indisch restaurants, and prove that they would not make concessions to the authentic flavors, which the people in Indonesia were accustomed to. The popularity of Indonesian cuisine outside the country’s borders can also be traced back to the forced emigration of the Indo Dutch population, as well as an increase in Indonesian restaurants owned by Indonesian immigrants.
MISSION
It’s my mission to ensure that the Dutch-Indonesian fusion cuisine is acknowledged as such in the world’s culinary history books. You can read more about the background of this cuisine in my cookbook: Dutch-Indonesian Kitchen Secrets.
©2012 – 2024 Jeff Keasberry
This article was first published in December 23rd, 2012. Updated May 6th, 2024.
