Almost all people living in Indonesia know what is rendang, given the number of food stalls Padang scattered throughout the archipelago. But do any of us know about the history of this rendang cuisine? Rendang is a traditional food from the region of West Sumatra, precisely Minangkabau, Indonesia, made of beef covered with a spicy blend of spices.
Now rendang is famous throughout Indonesia and even the delights have come to the world of International. This is evidenced by the selection of rendang "West Sumatra" as the world's most delicious food by a survey conducted by CNN. In fact, Burger King ever made Rendang Burger in 1987.
The Origin of Rendang Cuisine
Where do rendang's origins come from? Notes on rendang as Minang traditional culinary began to be written massively in the early 19th century.
Rendang or Randang is a spicy flavored meat dish that uses a mixture of various herbs and spices. This cuisine is produced from a heated cooking process repeatedly with coconut milk. The cooking process takes hours (usually about four hours) to dry and solid black. At room temperature, rendang can last for weeks. Rendang is cooked in a shorter time and the coconut milk has not dried up called kalio, a light brown golden color.
Rendang can be found in Padang Restaurant around the world. This cuisine is popular among the people of Indonesia and countries in Southeast Asia, such as Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Philippines, and Thailand. In its home area, Minangkabau, rendang is served in various traditional ceremonies and special occasions. Although rendang is a traditional Minangkabau cuisine in general, each area in Minangkabau has different cooking techniques and use of spices.
In 2011, rendang was crowned as the first ranked dish in the World's 50 Most Delicious Foods list (50 World's Best Cuisine) held by CNN International.
Rendang is a dish that contains rich herbs. In addition to the basic ingredients of meat, rendang uses coconut milk (karambia) in Padang language, and a mixture of a variety of distinctive spices that are smoothed, including pepper (lado), lemon grass, galangal, turmeric, ginger, garlic, onion and other spices usually referred to as a cook.
The uniqueness of rendang is the use of natural herbs, which are antiseptic and killing pathogenic bacteria so as to be a natural preservative. Garlic, onion, ginger, and galangal are known to have strong antimicrobial activity. Not surprisingly, rendang can be kept one week to four weeks.
The original rendang cooking process can take hours (usually about four hours), which is why rendang cooking takes time and patience. Pieces of meat cooked with herbs and coconut milk in the proper heat of heat, stirred slowly until coconut milk and seasoning absorbed the meat. After boiling, the fire is reduced and stirred until coconut thickens and becomes dry.
Cooking rendang should be patient and painstakingly waited, always carefully turned back and forth to keep the coconut milk dry and the seasoning perfectly absorbed, without burning or destroying the meat. This cooking process is known in modern culinary arts with the term 'caramelization'. Because using many types of spices, rendang is known to have a complex and unique flavors.
In cooking spiced meat in coconut milk, when viewed from the liquid content of coconut milk, there are actually three levels of stages, ranging from the wettest to the driest: Gulai - Kalio - Rendang. From this sense the true rendang is the lowest rendang of the liquid content. However, there are generally two types of rendang: dry and wet rendang.
Well, because the rendang is drier, then he is more durable compared to the curry. Until now, many who like to bring it as souvenirs or provision of long trips, such as pilgrimage or abroad.
Philosophy Behind Rendang
Padang traditional rendang food as a traditional dish has a respectable position in community life in Minangkabau. This is because the ingredients of rendang makers have their own meaning. The first ingredient of 'dagiang' or beef which is also the main ingredient symbolizes 'niniak mamak and bundo kanduang', where they will give prosperity to 'anak pisang and anak kemukan'. The second material is 'karambia' or coconut, which symbolizes the intellectuals or those in Minang language called Cadiak Pandai, in which they attach group and individual togetherness. The third is 'Lado' or sambal as a symbol of the pious and pious cleric in teaching religion. The last ingredient is the cooker or seasoning, which symbolizes each individual in which each individual has his or her own role to promote group life and is the most important element in the life of the Minang society.