Indonesia is a large country consisting of various tribes, spread throughout the country. Each tribe has different, diverse cultures, traditions and customs. It has the uniqueness of each tribe with its culture and customs that became the wealth of the Indonesian nation, and one of them is Karo tribe in North Sumatra is also no different from other tribes. Karo tribe also has its own culture and custom which is quite unique and interesting. North Sumatra is one area that deserves to be reckoned as a Tourist Destination Region ranging from nature tourism, culinary tours to historical tours. All ethnicities in North Sumatra have different customs and cultures. Cultural diversity in North Sumatra strongly supports the tourism in North Sumatra, especially Tanah Karo which became one of the tourist attraction in North Sumatra.
The uniqueness of karo culture that became the main attraction of one of them is culinary or food. Not a few people who know culinary karo, not only people who live in karo land area but people who are outside the area a lot of karo typical foods. Karo typical cuisine is not only found in karo land area, but in the city of Medan was not a few people who sell typical cuisine karo. In this karo culinary development we can make this special cuisine karo as a tourist attraction in North Sumatra.
One tourist destination is to enjoy the typical food of the existing tourist area. Visitors or culinary tour lovers, will not feel satisfied if they can not feel the typical cuisine of the area. They will taste the typical cuisine of Karo with a taste different from the typical cuisine of culinary tourism in other areas. Culinary lovers will endure the difference, usually culinary connoisseurs who have tasted this typical Karo cuisine they will feel addicted to the taste. Due to the distinct taste and distinctive, typical dishes of Karo have been found in many restaurants in urban areas, not only in Tanah Karo, but in the city of Medan was easy to get. Not only because the enjoyment of the created flavors, but also because the material in use is very easy to get so that not only in certain places we can enjoy the typical food Karo, we can also cook it at home with ease.
The typical karo food that is often found is :
1 . Overwrite
Cimpa is one of the foods that are often found and easy to make, This cake is made of glutinous rice as the main ingredient, as its content using brown sugar / palm mixed with grated coconut, and as outer clothes generally use Leaf Singkut but not a little people use banana leaves as their successor. As the picture below, is an example of Leaf Singkut image.
picture 1. It is a green leafy leaves, usually this daunya before in use as a cimpa first clothing in jembur in the sun until the color of the leaf is browned and has not hardened again.
Picture 2. It is the result of the cimpa image I photograph myself when there is a family event that is "wages tendi". Which is wrapped in leaf wrap is a unung-purple cimpa in cooking with the way in boiled, while the above is the cassava matah that is made only by sticky rice in the mash until it must be cooked. And the white ones are boiled eggs.
This Karo Tribe is usually served when there are parties, whether it is a family gathering party (Perpulungen), until a large customary party such as marriage or work of the year (Merdang merdem). so this Cimpa can be called a cake that we can and enjoy when there is a party, rolls, or other big event, it can be said that Cimpa is one of the symbols of the peculiarities of eating Karo. And usually in every big event there is no cimpa.
2 . Terites
Typical of Karo's most unique food, the ingredients used are made from different types of vegetables and contain the inside of Cow, Buffalo, or goat. The basic ingredients of this food are the grass that is in the big belly of Cow, Buffalo, or Goat.
The intent of the grass used is not yet dirt because the grass is taken not from the colon or the digestive system part. The grass is still fresh because when the buffalo or cows eat the grass, the new grass is eaten in the mouth will be swallowed and inserted into storage granary (big stomach), then will be fed again the new grass will be input to the digestion. And in the storage bag that grass is taken as the main ingredients of teritis. Teritis is a food that in karo people believe as a stomach remedy or ulcer patients.
This Terites is a typical food that is usually made or served at a big party like Merdang Merdem (Annual Harvest Party) as well as cimpa.
3 . Cipera
Karo typical cuisine is made from chicken pieces of chicken, then cooked until tender with corn flour as a blend of thick cipera berkuah ingredients. This thick sauce tastes spicy because it uses cayenne pepper and a bit sour. In addition to mixed chicken, cipera is also mixed with mushrooms to be more delicious.
4 . Tasak telu
Tasak Telu is a typical Karo tea which means "three dishes" consisting of boiled chicken mixed with various spices. Water decoction is set aside and serve as a serving of soup or soup. The boiled chicken which is included in the core ingredients is cut into pieces to be served. If you like chicken blood, boiled chicken can be cooked again for a while and mixed with chicken blood into it. In the karo language, the blood is known as "sap".
Then part of the bone is cooked also with some sauce mixed with cipera. And also added with other spices, this mixture is made in a delicious gravy sauce. This thick gravy as the second part of serving tasak telu chicken, later splashed on boiled chicken when eating. The third part is chopped vegetables. Which consists of boiled vegetables such as long beans, banana stems, banana heart, papaya leaves, cassava leaves, bean sprouts as well as anchored with grated coconut that has been given spice.
5 . Kidu-Kidu
The typical cuisine of this karo is a caterpillar from the enau tree. how to cook it. Once cleaned this finger is fried so that the outside is crispy, but not until broken so that the liquid in it is still intact. Fried Kidu is then cooked briefly in the aromatic sauce made from turmeric, hazelnut, onion, garlic, andaliman, kincung (kecombrang).
6 . Gule kuta-kuta
Kuta-kuta curry is a typical cuisine Karo, the main ingredient in use is chicken. This curry is slightly different from the usual curry. How to cook it was not much different from the general cooking gule.
Ingredients used to cook chili, onion, garlic, turmeric, lemongrass, galangal, cikala acid, coconut milk, basil leaf. Usually gule kuta-kata is cooked simultaneously all the ingredients, until soft chicken. Then the cikala and basil acid mixed until cooked. In general, in use is the chicken, because the chicken is more delicious than the chicken pieces.
7 . Umbut
Umbut is a typical karo cuisine made from young banana stems in fine slices, mixed with grated coconut. Then mixed chicken, usually chicken pieces are small. Basic seasoning using onion, chilli rawi, onion, lemongrass, galangal, leek, and do not forget the salt and cikala acid are always in use basic ingredients typical karo cuisine
Umbut is often also cooked at home, not only the tribe karo who likes it a lot of tribal mandailing and Java likes this umbut. The taste is very tasty .
Here's a little story about me in karo land and see and learn the culture and cuisine that is in this place. Thank you for reading this article and see you in the following article.