Get To Know Lontong Balap Typical Food East Java Indonesia

Lontong Balap Typical Food East Java Indonesia

In Indonesia, each city has its own special food, even for the same food name, different regions also have different tastes. So that the richness of Indonesian cuisine is very diverse. If you visit the city of Pahlawan, Surabaya, of course, you have to try the unique and unique cuisine of this city. One of the typical foods of Surabaya City is Lontong Balap. Even though you may have found it in other areas, this food is still a typical food of the city of Surabaya.

History of the Lontong Balap Name

When viewed from the name alone, then this food is very unique. Lontong is food made from rice wrapped in plastic or banana leaves. Then boiled in boiling water for several hours until it becomes rice, but the rice is joined to one another. This is because it is cooked until it is very cooked, so the rice cake is very similar to ketupat, only the packaging is different.

So why is it called Lontong Balap? There are several versions of the story about the history of this food name. Some sources say that in the past the seller carried a kendil (container of clay) by walking fast because it was heavy. So it is often considered that the sellers are like racing. Another source stated that every morning, the lontong seller had to fight for a place to hold his merchandise in the city of Surabaya. Well for fear of being overtaken by other sellers, then they walk quickly so they can sell a lot. That is what causes it to be called lontong balap because lontong sellers like racing when walking.

Unique Lontong Race Facts That Make It Must Be Tried

Apart from its unique name, it turns out that this food has a variety of other uniqueness. Although you could say this food is simple food, it is always favored by many people. You could say that everyone who goes to Surabaya City must try to enjoy this special food. Then what really makes this food popular with many people? The following are some of the unique things from Lontong Balap and you have to try when visiting Surabaya City.

1. Commonly Enjoyed with Compulsory Companion

Typical food can usually be enjoyed as a single meal. But it is different from the typical food of this unique city hero. Although food has been presented as a complete package that is filling, there are still mandatory food and drinks that must be juxtaposed. The food that must be eaten together is shellfish satay. Surabaya is a city directly adjacent to the sea, namely the Madura Strait. In this place, many shells are found that are very typical and very delicious when eaten together with rice cake.

While the drinks that are required to exist are ice degan or young coconut ice. This drink is a very relieving thirst in the heat of the city of Surabaya. You don't need to worry to find this combination of three foods. Almost every seller always provides a complete package of rice cake, satay shells and ice with.

2. Low Prices But Not Cheap Content

The typical food of Surabaya City is usually sold at a price of around Rp. 10,000. This price is a very, very cheap price to pay for its enjoyment. Even though the price is very cheap, it does not mean you will not be full and satisfied to enjoy it. At that price, you will get one portion of rice cake cut into pieces. Then lontong comes with tofu pong (fried tofu) which is also cut by ptong.

Lontong is also equipped with fried lentho. Lentho is around food made from boiled tolo beans fried in eggs. The savory taste is perfect when combined with a soft lontong flavor. Besides that, it is still added with beef broth, which has a very delicious aroma combined with bean sprouts.

3. Different from the others, gravy without containing coconut milk

Eating lontong is usually combined with thick coconut milk, for example, chicken opor. But this is different from the typical Surabaya City food, which does not contain coconut milk. The broth used is broth from old boiled beef. This is what makes it unique and tastes different from other foods. If the lontong is normally consumed with concentrated coconut sauce, this is actually enjoyed with a clear sauce but is far more enjoyable. So that the savory taste does not come from vegetable fat because it is replaced with savory animal fat.

4. Using typical East Javanese Sambal

For those of you who like spicy food, this food is also suitable to try. Lontong is served along with sambal petis, which is a typical East Javanese sambal. Sambal petis is made from sea fish, so if you have allergies to sea fish, you can get rid of it. This food seller deliberately does not make a spicy sauce. But instead, put it on the edge of the plate so that buyers can choose to eat it or not. Sambal petis is an excellent prima donna combined with various other special foods.

How to Eat Lontong Depending on the Taste of the Buyer

This method of eating lontong actually has no definite rules. But these food buyers can be separated into two based on their eating methods. Buyers of the first group are those who consume rice cake with the presentation according to what is provided by the seller. The buyer eats it by mixing each ingredient for one spoonful of a spoon to be eaten. While the second group is to mix all the ingredients together and then eat them. This, of course, makes it unique because even though it's not a special rule, everyone has their own taste.