KOREA FOUNDATION

   One simple way of distinguishing whether a culture is Eastern or Western is to see whether its staple food is rice or bread. The decision to cultivate either rice or wheat led to cultural differences—people’s way of life and, of course, their culinary culture—that date back to ancient times.

   In Indonesia, one of many countries where the staple is rice, nasi goreng is regarded as a soul food. This fried rice dish has a distinct, captivating flavor that is created by various vegetables and salty sauces. The recipe for nasi goreng has a history that is just as diverse asits flavors. Some argue that, between the 10th and 15th century, when Indonesia actively traded with China, Chinese immigrants spread stirfried dishes by using the woks that they brought with them. Another theory, that Indonesia was influenced by Arabia and India (because it was an important base for Asian trade and transportation), seems also likely. The encounter of rice and Southeast Asian spices resulted in the flavors that we are familiar with today.

   As can be seen for nasi goreng, rice is the perfect ingredient for heightening taste by achieving harmony with other ingredients. There are many examples of this throughout ASEAN. Nasi campur, in which a neatly-arranged pile of rice is topped with various side dishes (rendant, a rich, thick beef stew; kangkung, stir-fried water spinach; bakso, a combination of warm broth and meatballs; etc.), has a delicious taste that is created by the seasonings of the side dishes getting absorbed by the rice. Myanmar’s shan htamin chin is a rice ball created by mixing stir-fried fish (embedded with garlic and ginger), tomatoes, boiled potatoes, and rice. Cambodia, on the other hand, has a pork rice soup that is made by boiling a broth of pork, shrimp, and squid after adding rice and fish sauce.