''Se'i'' or ''sei'' is an Indonesian

smoked meat Smoked meat is the result of a method of preparing red meat, white meat, and seafood which originated in the Paleolithic, Paleolithic Era. Smoking adds Flavor (taste), flavor, improves the appearance of meat through the Maillard reaction, and ...

from

Kupang Kupang ( id, Kota Kupang, ), formerly known as Koepang, is the capital of the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara. At the 2020 C ensus, it had a population of 442,758; the official estimate as at mid 2021 was 455,850. It is the largest ci ...

Timor Timor is an island at the southern end of Maritime Southeast Asia, in the north of the Timor Sea. The island is divided between the sovereign states of East Timor on the eastern part and Indonesia on the western part. The Indonesian part, also ...

island,

East Nusa Tenggara East Nusa Tenggara ( id, Nusa Tenggara Timur – NTT; pt, Sonda Oriental) is the southernmost province of Indonesia. It comprises the eastern portion of the Lesser Sunda Islands, facing the Indian Ocean in the south and the Flores Sea in the nor ...

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

. ''Se'i'' may be derived from a variety of meats, with

pork Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the domestic pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BCE. Pork is eaten both freshly cooked and preserved; ...

(''se'i babi''),

beef Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle (''Bos taurus''). In prehistoric times, humankind hunted aurochs and later domesticated them. Since that time, numerous breeds of cattle have been bred specifically for the quality or quantit ...

(''se'i sapi'') or game animals such as

venison Venison originally meant the meat of a game animal but now refers primarily to the meat of antlered ungulates such as elk or deer (or antelope in South Africa). Venison can be used to refer to any part of the animal, so long as it is edible, ...

(''se'i rusa'') as common offerings. Today, the most popular se'i meat is pork. ''Se'i'' uses thin, sliced cuts of meat utilizing a mixture of

salt Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quant ...

and

spices A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of plants used for flavoring or as a garnish. Spices are ...

and smoked. Texturally, it is comparable to bacon, albeit thicker. This dish is easily found in restaurants and '' warung'' in the Timor region. In Kupang, people serve ''se'i'' with ''nasi panas'' (hot

steamed rice Cooked rice refers to rice that has been cooked either by steaming or boiling. The terms steamed rice or boiled rice are also commonly used. Any variant of Asian rice (both Indica and Japonica varieties), African rice or wild rice, glutinous ...

), accompanied with '' sambal lu'at'' and '' jagung bose''.

Etymology

The name of ''Se'i'' derives from the local language of East Nusa Tenggara that means " smoked meat".

History

This dish is traditionally served and consumed by the people of

province, especially by Timorese people. In the dry climate of Timor island, the traditional smoking method is employed to preserve meats and to increase the nutritional and economic value of the meats. ''Se'i'' has been historically made from Timorese deer (''

Cervus timorensis The Javan rusa or Sunda sambar (''Rusa timorensis'') is a deer native to Indonesia and East Timor. Introduced populations exist in a wide variety of locations in the Southern Hemisphere. Taxonomy Seven subspecies of the Javan rusa are recognis ...

''), but this practice has ceased due to a decline in population and its consecutive endangered status. Beef and pork are largely the main ingredients of ''Se'i'', and are the preferred meat choices for both locals and tourists. The number of restaurants serving ''se'i'' that have appeared outside of East Nusa Tenggara, such as in Jakarta and Bali, have also contributed to its popularity.

References

{{Indonesian cuisine Kupang Pork dishes Indonesian cuisine Bacon dishes Smoked meat

Etymology

History

See also

References