As one of the biggest island in Indonesia, Sulawesi is known for its wonderful marine tourism in Southeast Sulawesi, tourist attractions in Maros, Sulawesi, and many more. As other regions in Indonesia, Sulawesi always has many things to offer as tourist attractions.
One of the provinces on the island is South Sulawesi which is popular with its tasty culinary that has spreaded throughout the country. One of them is Coto Makasar.
Besides Coto Makasar, there are other local cuisines that taste as great as Coto Makasar that you definitely need to try to expand your culinary experience.
We have listed 7 best local cuisines in South Sulawesi that you can try once you arrive in the province and are done exploring its natural attractions.
1. Coto Makasar
As the name, Coto Makasar is the local food from Makasar, the capital city of South Sulawesi. Coto Makasar is made from the innards of a cow.
You might not be used to eat the innards of an animal, but this cuisine is cooked in certain ways in order to remove the odor and make them taste as great as the beef.
The innards are boiled first before boiled again with mashed peanuts and the water that was used to wash rice. The innards are then sliced and seasoned with various spices of Indonesia, making it tastes rich and delicious.
It is commonly served with Indonesian rice cake called lontong or burasa, another local cuisine on this list.
Due to its great taste, Coto Makasar can be found almost in every corner of Indonesia. You can find it on the line of street food vendors or as a cuisine on the menu of a fine dining restaurant. So you basically don’t need to travel all the way to South Sulawesi. However, if you want to taste the authentic one, of course you need to go to Makasar.
2. Konro Soup
Konro Soup is also a popular cuisine from the tradtion of Buginese in South Sulawesi that is made from beef ribs and the beef itself. The soup is black in color as the result of the use of kluwek, the fruit of Pangium edule which is black in color and has been fermented.
The taste of Konro Soup is rich and strong since it uses lots of spices including coriander. There is also another variant of Konro, which also uses beef ribs, but it is grilled with the the same spices used to make Konro Soup. This cuisine variant is called as Konro Bakar or Grilled Konro.
3. Nasu Palekko
Nasu Palekko is another cuisine of the Buginese that is made from slices of duck meat. To remove the odor from the meat, it is processed with vinegar and lime. The spices used to seasoned the meat is similar to the ones used in Rendang, a popular cuisine from West Sumatra.
The duck meat is cooked with the spices in a long time, making the spices perfectly soaked into the meat, which gives it similar taste as the Rendang. Besides duck, the cuisine can also be made from beef. This is a tasty and savory cuisine that can go well with a plate of warm rice.
4. Kapurung
Kapurung is made from sago flour that is cooked with water until it becomes sticky and then shaped into a ball. It is similar to Papeda, a sago food from Maluku however Kapurung is directly served with the broth. Kapurung is also called as Pulagu in some places in South Sulawesi.
The sago balls are then cooked with vegetables like spinach and corn, spices, and fish meat, shrimp, or chicken, creating a perfect blend of soup. For a fresh taste, you can add lime juice before eating this tasty local cuisine.
5. Pallubasa
Pallubasa is a local cuisine from Makasar that looks similar to Coto Makasar at a glance. However, they actually taste different and are served differently. Pallubasa is also made from the innards of cow. It is boiled in a long period in order to remove the odor and then sliced and placed in a bowl before splashed with tasteful and savory broth.
If Coto Makasar is usually served with accompaniment of lontong or burasa, Pallubasa is commonly served with a plate of warm rice. The spices used in this cuisine are rich and tasty. No wonder it becomes one of the must-try cuisines when you travel to South Sulawesi.
6. Mi Titi
Mi Titi is a popular cuisine from South Sulawesi that was firstly introduced in 1960s by a Chinese-Indonesian named Ang Kho Tjao and the recipe was given to his children, in which one of them is named Titi.
Nowadays, you can find this cuisine in every corner of Makasar. You can find the tastiest one on Irian Street, Boulevard Street, and Datuk Museng Street.
Mi Titi is made from cripy noodle that is added with thick and savory gravy and is topped with lots of complement like shrimp, meatballs, mushroom, and vegetables, which create a perfect combination compared to the usual noodle dish. The crispy noodle and the gravy also create unique sensation that will surely please your taste buds.
7. Burasa
While reading the article, you might notice that the cuisines that are served with broth are commonly served with a company of burasa. It is because Indonesian typically enjoy eating gravy dish with a company of rice cake as the replacement of warm rice.
Burasa is similar to Indonesian rice cake called lontong but it is thinner compared to the round and long lontong. Besides, the cooking process of Burasa is different from lontong.
The rice that is used in Burasa is cooked with coconut milk and then wrapped with banana leaves and tied around. It is then boiled to perfectly cooked.
Well, these local cuisines are a good try to start your culinary adventure in Sulawesi. Later, you can add more adventure by trying popular South Sumatran foods, Indonesian noodle dishes, and the local foods in Medan. Bon appetit!