
( , ), a
Dutch word that literally translates to "rice table", is an Indonesian elaborate meal adapted by the Dutch following the ''hidang'' presentation of ''
nasi padang'' from the
Padang region of
West Sumatra
West Sumatra () is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia. It is on the west coast of the island of Sumatra and includes the Mentawai Islands off that coast. West Sumatra borders the Indian Ocean to the west, as well as the provinces of ...
. It consists of many (forty is not an unusual number)
side dish
A side dish, sometimes referred to as a side order, side item, or simply a side, is a food item that accompanies the entrée or main course at a meal.egg roll
The egg roll is a variety of deep-fried appetizer served in American Chinese restaurants. It is a cylindrical, savory roll with shredded cabbage, chopped meat, or other fillings inside a thickly wrapped wheat flour skin, which is fried in ...
s,
sambals,
satay
Satay ( , in the US also ), or sate in Indonesia, is a Javanese cuisine, Javanese dish of seasoned, skewered and grilled meat, served with a sauce. Satay originated in Java, but has spread throughout Indonesia, into Southeast Asia, Europe, ...
, fish, fruit, vegetables,
pickles, and nuts. In most areas where it is served, such as the
Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
, and other areas of strong Dutch influence (such as parts of the
West Indies
The West Indies is an island subregion of the Americas, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, which comprises 13 independent island country, island countries and 19 dependent territory, dependencies in thr ...
), it is known under its Dutch name.
Although the dishes served are undoubtedly
Indonesian, the ''rijsttafel''’s origins were colonial. The Dutch introduced the rice table not only so they could enjoy a wide array of dishes at a single sitting but also to impress visitors with the exotic abundance of their colony.
''Rijsttafels'' strive to feature an array of not only flavors and colors and degrees of spiciness but also textures, an aspect that is not commonly discussed in Western food. Such textures may include crispy, chewy, slippery, soft, hard, velvety, gelatinous, and runny.
History
The ''rijsttafel'' was created to provide a festive and official type of banquet that would represent the multi-ethnic nature of the Indonesian archipelago. Dishes were assembled from many of the far flung regions of Indonesia, where many different cuisines exist, often determined by ethnicity and culture of the particular island or island group — from Javanese favourite ''
sateh'', ''
tempeh'' and ''
seroendeng'', to vegetarian cuisine ''
gado-gado'' and ''
lodeh'' with ''
sambal lalab'' from
Batavia and
Preanger. From spicy ''
rendang'' and ''
gulai'' curry from the Minangkabau region in Sumatra, to East Indies ubiquitous dishes ''
nasi goreng
''Nasi goreng'' (English pronunciation: ), (Indonesian language, Indonesian and Malay language, Malay for 'fried rice') is a Southeast Asian rice dish with pieces of meat and vegetables added. It can refer simply to fried pre-cooked rice, a me ...
'', ''
soto ayam'', and ''
kroepoek'' crackers. Also Indonesian dishes from hybrid influences, such as Chinese ''
babi ketjap'', ''
loempia'', and ''
bami'' to European
beef smoor. And there are many others from the hundreds of inhabited islands, which contain more than 300 regional and ethnic language groups.
During its centuries of popularity in Dutch East Indies, lines of servants or sarong-clad waitresses ceremoniously served the marathon meal on platters laden with steaming bowls of fragrant foods. The first to be served was a cone-shaped pile of rice on a large platter, which the server placed in the center of the table. The servers then surrounded the rice platter with as many as 40 small bowls holding meat and vegetable dishes as well as condiments. During its colonial heyday until Japanese occupation of Dutch East Indies in 1942, the most celebrated ''rijsttafel'' in the Indies was served for Sunday luncheon at the
Hotel des Indes in Batavia and the
Savoy Homann Hotel in
Bandung
Bandung is the capital city of the West Java province of Indonesia. Located on the island of Java, the city is the List of Indonesian cities by population, fourth-most populous city and fourth largest city in Indonesia after Jakarta, Surabay ...
, where the rice was accompanied by sixty different dishes.
Brought back to the Netherlands by former colonials and exiled Indonesians and
Indo-Europeans (Eurasians) after Indonesia gained its independence in 1945, the ''rijsttafel'' was predominantly popular with Dutch families with colonial roots. On the other hand, when Indonesia proclaimed its independence in 1945, nationalist sentiment promoted the rejection of Dutch colonial culture and customs, including the flamboyant rice table. Today, the rice table has practically disappeared from Indonesia's restaurants and is served only by a handful of fine-dining restaurants in Indonesia. A typical ''rijsttafel'' will have several dining tables covered with different dishes; while in some fancy settings in Indonesia, each dish may be served by a separate waitress.
Since about 1990, Indonesian food has become part of a mainstream interest in Southeast Asian cuisine, and there has been a proliferation of Indonesian restaurants in the Netherlands.
Typical dishes
The following is a brief, but not nearly complete, list of examples of foods that may be found on a ''rijsttafel'':
*
Acar – pickled vegetables
*
Babi kecap –
pork belly
Pork belly or belly pork is a boneless, fatty Primal cut, cut of pork from the Abdomen, belly of a pig. Pork belly is particularly popular in American cuisine, American, British cuisine, British, Swedish cuisine, Swedish, Danish cuisine, Danish, ...
braised in sweet
soy sauce
Soy sauce (sometimes called soya sauce in British English) is a liquid condiment of China, Chinese origin, traditionally made from a fermentation (food), fermented paste of soybeans, roasted cereal, grain, brine, and ''Aspergillus oryzae'' or ''A ...
common in the Netherlands; a
halal
''Halal'' (; ) is an Arabic word that translates to in English. Although the term ''halal'' is often associated with Islamic dietary laws, particularly meat that is slaughtered according to Islamic guidelines, it also governs ethical practices ...
Indonesian version often uses beef variant known as ''
semur''
*
Babi panggang – roasted pork in a tomato based sauce
* Bebek
betutu – duck roasted in banana leaves
*
Bebek Peking – Chinese-style roasted duck
*
Capcay – stir-fried vegetables
*
Empal gentong – curry-like beef soup
*
Gado-gado – vegetables (cooked or fresh) with
peanut sauce (''sambal kacang'')
*
Gudeg
Gudeg is a traditional Javanese cuisine, Javanese dish from Yogyakarta, Indonesia. It is made from young, unripe jackfruit (, ) stewed for several hours with palm sugar and coconut milk. It is variously spiced with garlic, shallot, candlenut, c ...
– young
jackfruit
The jackfruit or ''nangka'' (''Artocarpus heterophyllus'') is a species of tree in the Common fig, fig, mulberry, and breadfruit family (Moraceae).
The jackfruit is the largest tree fruit, reaching as much as in weight, in length, and in d ...
with palm sugar and coconut milk
*
Karedok –
vegetable salad in
peanut sauce
*
Krupuk
' (Javanese language, Javanese) is an Indonesian cuisine, Indonesian deep frying, deep-fried Cracker (food), cracker made from starch and other ingredients that serve as flavouring. They are a popular snack in parts of Southeast Asia, but are ...
–
chips
*
Lemper
''Lemper'' is an Cuisine of Indonesia, Indonesian savoury snack made of glutinous rice filled with seasoned shredded Chicken (food), chicken, fish ''abon'' (meat floss) or serundeng. The specific ''lemper'' filled with seasoned shredded chicken ...
– rice rolls with spicy filling
*
Lumpia
''Lumpia'' are various types of spring rolls commonly found in Indonesian cuisine, Indonesian and Filipino cuisine, Filipino cuisines. Lumpia are made of thin paper-like or crêpe-like pastry skin called "lumpia wrapper" enveloping savory or ...
–
spring rolls
*
Nasi goreng
''Nasi goreng'' (English pronunciation: ), (Indonesian language, Indonesian and Malay language, Malay for 'fried rice') is a Southeast Asian rice dish with pieces of meat and vegetables added. It can refer simply to fried pre-cooked rice, a me ...
–
fried rice
*
Nasi kuning – Indonesian yellow rice
*
Nasi uduk – steamed rice in coconut milk
*
Opor ayam – chicken coconut curry
*
Pecel – vegetable salad in peanut sauce
*
Perkedel – meat and potato patties
*
Pisang goreng – banana
fritter
A fritter is a portion of meat, seafood, fruit, vegetables, or other ingredients which have been Batter (cooking), battered or breading, breaded, or just a portion of dough without further ingredients, that is deep-frying, deep-fried. Fritters ar ...
s
*
Rawon – blackish beef soup
*
Rendang – aromatic spicy caramelized beef, braised in coconut milk, chillies, and spices
* Sambal iris – onion, tomato, and chilli paste
* Sambal kacang –
peanut sauce
* Sambal ulek – spicy chilli paste
*
Satay
Satay ( , in the US also ), or sate in Indonesia, is a Javanese cuisine, Javanese dish of seasoned, skewered and grilled meat, served with a sauce. Satay originated in Java, but has spread throughout Indonesia, into Southeast Asia, Europe, ...
(sometimes spelled ''saté'', ''sate'', or ''sateh'') – various thinly sliced meats, marinated then broiled on a
skewer
A skewer is a thin metal or wood stick used to hold pieces of food together. The word may sometimes be used as a metonym, to refer to the entire food item served on a skewer, as in "chicken skewers". Skewers are used while grilling or roasting ...
, such as: ''sate ayam'' (chicken); ''sate babi'' (pork); ''sate lilit'' (seafood)
*
Sayur lodeh – vegetable stew (spicy) in coconut milk
*
Semur daging – a type of stew of beef braised in sweet soy sauce
*
Serundeng – peanuts with sautéed shredded coconut
* Tahu telur –
tofu
or bean curd is a food prepared by Coagulation (milk), coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into solid white blocks of varying softness: ''silken'', ''soft'', ''firm'', and ''extra (or super) firm''. It originated in Chin ...
omelette
* Telur balado – hard-boiled eggs sautéed in chilli sauce
* Telur bumbu bali – hard-boiled eggs sautéed in Balinese spice mixture
Today

Despite its popularity in the Netherlands and abroad, the ''rijsttafel'' is rarely found in Indonesia. That is probably because most Indonesian meals consist of rice accompanied by only one, two or three dishes, mostly consisting of ''lauk'' (fish, chicken, meat, egg, or other source of protein), ''sayur'' (vegetable), and other side dishes. To consume more than that number of dishes at once (a ''rijsttafel'' might range from seven to forty dishes) is considered too extravagant and too expensive. The closest versions to rice table dishes readily available in Indonesia are local
nasi Padang and
nasi campur. However, in Indonesian restaurants around the world, especially in Belgium, the Netherlands, and South Africa, the ''rijsttafel'' is still popular.
Today only a handful of dining establishments in Indonesia ceremoniously serve elaborate colonial-style ''rijsttafel''. ''Rijsttafel'' is commonly found only in select upscale Indonesian restaurants, mainly the ones in
Jakarta
Jakarta (; , Betawi language, Betawi: ''Jakartè''), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta (; ''DKI Jakarta'') and formerly known as Batavia, Dutch East Indies, Batavia until 1949, is the capital and largest city of Indonesia and ...
. In July 2011, the airline
Garuda Indonesia launched Indonesian ''rijsttafel'' in Executive Class as its signature in-flight service. This Indonesian signature dining was meant to introduce the passenger to a wide array of
Indonesian cuisine
Indonesian cuisine is a collection of various regional culinary traditions by various ethnic groups that formed in the archipelagic nation of Indonesia. There are a wide variety of recipes and cuisines in part because Indonesia is composed ...
in a single setting as part of Garuda Indonesia experience. This in-flight Indonesian ''rijsttafel'' includes Indonesian signature dishes; choices of
nasi kuning or regular
steamed rice, accompanied with choices of dishes such as
satay
Satay ( , in the US also ), or sate in Indonesia, is a Javanese cuisine, Javanese dish of seasoned, skewered and grilled meat, served with a sauce. Satay originated in Java, but has spread throughout Indonesia, into Southeast Asia, Europe, ...
,
rendang,
gado-gado grilled chicken rica,
red snapper in yellow
acar sauce, fried shrimp in
sambal, potato
perkedel and
tempeh, also with
kerupuk or
rempeyek crackers.
All new Garuda Indonesia Experience 2011 Commercial
/ref>
See also
* List of rice dishes
This is a list of rice dishes from all over the world, arranged alphabetically. Rice is the seed of the monocot plants ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or ''Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). As a cereal, cereal grain, it is the most widely consumed s ...
*
References
Further reading
* Hulupi, Maria Endah.
Rijstafel: finding enough room for all those dishes
archived
5 November 2003). ''The Jakarta Post
''The Jakarta Post'' is a daily English-language newspaper in Indonesia. The paper is owned by PT Bina Media Tenggara and based in the nation's capital, Jakarta.
''The Jakarta Post'' started as a collaboration between four Indonesian media ...
''. October 29, 2003.
{{Indonesian cuisine
Dutch fusion cuisine
Dutch words and phrases
Indonesian fusion cuisine
Indonesian rice dishes
Meals