Indonesia

🇧🇳Brunei

Sambal

Surinamese Sambal

Sambal is a chilli condiment made across Indonesian and Malay kitchens, with ground aromatics, oil, and regional ingredients

🇮🇩South Sulawesi, Indonesia

Saraba

Saraba is a South Sulawesi drink of ginger, palm sugar and coconut milk, often enriched with egg.

🇧🇳Brunei

Satay

Marinated meat skewers grilled over charcoal, served with peanut sauce and cucumber

🇮🇩Surakarta (Solo), Indonesia

Sate kere

A Solo street snack of grilled offal and tofu skewers in a thin peanut sauce.

🇮🇩East Java, Indonesia

Sate Ponorogo

A Ponorogo specialty of chicken satay marinated in soy and spices, grilled and served with a thin sauce.

🇮🇩Indonesia

Savory Martabak

Martabak Telur

Savory stuffed pancake with spiced meat, eggs, and scallions, fried until crispy and flaky

🇮🇩Indonesia

Sayur Lodeh

Vegetable curry in coconut milk with various vegetables, jackfruit, and tempeh, creamy coconut broth with tender vegetables and balanced flavors, a Malay staple

🇮🇩Indonesia

Sekoteng

Warm ginger drink with peanuts, bread, and pacar cina jelly, a comforting evening drink.

🇮🇩Surakarta (Solo), Indonesia

Selat solo

Selat solo, the Javanese-Dutch "salad" of braised beef, boiled vegetables and a thin mustard-soy gravy, is a named Solo dish and a distinctive colonial hybrid.

🇮🇩Indonesia

Serundeng

Serundeng, coconut toasted with spices until dry and sprinkled over rice and meat, is a named Indonesian accompaniment bought by the packet.

🇨🇳Guangdong, China

Sesame Balls

煎堆

Hollow glutinous rice dough balls rolled in sesame seeds and deep-fried until they puff, filled with sweet lotus or red bean paste.

🇮🇩West Java, Indonesia

Shaved Ice Dessert

Es Doger

West Javanese shaved ice dessert with coconut, avocado, condensed milk, and various toppings.

🇧🇳Brunei

Shrimp Paste

Belacan

Fermented shrimp paste blocks made from tiny geragau shrimp, essential umami ingredient in Malay cooking, deep purple-brown color with strong pungent aroma, foundational

🇮🇩Indonesia

Shrimp Paste

Terasi

Fermented shrimp paste used as condiment base in many Indonesian dishes, pungent and umami-rich.

🇮🇩Indonesia

Shrimp Paste Sambal

Sambal Terasi

Chili paste with fermented shrimp paste, the most essential Indonesian condiment.

🇧🇳East Java, Brunei

Smashed Fried Chicken

Ayam Penyet

Succulent fried chicken smashed flat, served with heaps of sambal, fresh cucumbers, fried tofu, and fragrant rice; though Javanese in origin, ayam penyet has been passionately adopted by Bruneians; each establishment offers its own twist on the sambal's recipe and heat level; incredibly popular and affordable.

🇮🇩East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia

Smoked Beef

Se'i Sapi

East Nusa Tenggara smoked beef strips, traditionally made with venison, now beef, over wood fire.

🇮🇩North Sulawesi, Indonesia

Smoked Fish Sambal

Sambal Roa

Manado smoked fish sambal with chilies, rich in umami and smoky flavor.

🇮🇩North Sulawesi, Indonesia

Smoked Skipjack Tuna

Cakalang Fufu

Smoked skipjack tuna from Manado, firm texture with distinctive smoky aroma, used in various dishes.

🇮🇩Indonesia

Snake Fruit

Salak

Salak is a palm fruit with reddish-brown scaly skin and crisp sweet-tart flesh that peels into segments.

🇹🇱Maluku, Timor-Leste

Sopi

A traditional Timorese spirit distilled from palm wine (tua sabu) or coconut sap; stronger than tua sabu; a local liquor with cultural significance; drunk at ceremonies, gatherings, and social occasions; a TasteAtlas-listed product; the distilled spirit of Timor-Leste.

🇮🇩Medan, Indonesia

Soto Medan

A Medan chicken soup with coconut milk, turmeric, lime and crunchy toppings.

🇧🇳West Sumatra, Brunei

Sour Spicy Fish

Asam Pedas

Sour and spicy fish curry with tamarind, popular in Melaka and Johor, tangy tamarind balance with spicy kick and fresh fish, a regional Malaysian specialty

🇮🇩South Sulawesi, Indonesia

South Sulawesi Sago Porridge

Kapurung

Bugis sago porridge served with fish soup and vegetables, similar to papeda, South Sulawesi staple.

🇮🇩West Kalimantan, Indonesia

Spicy Porridge

Bubur Pedas

Pontianak herbal porridge, not actually spicy but rich with herbs and warming spices.

🇮🇩Indonesia

Steamed Coconut Cake

Putu Ayu

Steamed cake with grated coconut topping and pandan flavor, soft and spongy.

🇮🇩Indonesia

Steamed Coconut-and-Leaf Parcels

Botok

Food steamed in banana leaf with spiced grated coconut, no added oil, healthy and flavorful.

🇮🇩West Java, Indonesia

Steamed Fish Dumpling

Siomay

Steamed fish dumplings with tofu, egg, potato, and bitter melon, served with peanut sauce.

🇮🇩West Java, Indonesia

Steamed Fish in Banana Leaf

Pepes Ikan

Fish seasoned with spices, wrapped in banana leaf, and steamed, traditional Sundanese technique.

🇮🇩Indonesia

Sticky Rice Roll

Lemper

Glutinous rice filled with seasoned chicken or beef, wrapped in banana leaves.

🇮🇩Indonesia

Street Fried Noodles

Mie Tek-Tek

Street-style fried noodles with kecap manis and various toppings, sold by itinerant cart vendors.

🇮🇩West Java, Indonesia

Sumedang Tofu

Tahu Sumedang

Sundanese-style steamed then fried tofu with hollow center, crispy skin and soft interior.

🇮🇩Indonesia

Sup Kambing

Soup Kambing

Goat meat soup with spices, clear greenish-gold broth with tender meat and aromatic spices.

🇮🇩Indonesia

Sweet Beef Stew

Semur Daging

Beef stewed in sweet soy sauce with nutmeg, cloves, and onions, Dutch-influenced Indonesian dish.

🇮🇩West Java, Indonesia

Sweet Fried Beef

Empal Gepuk

West Javanese sweet spiced fried beef, pounded thin and braised in palm sugar and spices.

🇮🇩Indonesia

Sweet Martabak

Martabak Manis

Thick sweet pancake with chocolate, cheese, peanuts, and condensed milk, a popular evening street food.