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Boembu
Boembu
Bumbu is the Indonesian word for a blend of spices and for pastes made from these blends, and
it commonly appears in the names of spice mixtures, sauces and seasoning pastes. The official
Indonesian language dictionary describes bumbu as "various types of herbs and plants that have
a pleasant aroma and flavour — such as ginger, turmeric, galangal, nutmeg and pepper — used
to enhance the flavour of the food."[1]
It is a characteristic of Indonesian cuisine and its regional variants such
as Balinese, Javanese, Sundanese, Padang, Batak and Manado cuisines. It is used with various
meats, seafood and vegetables in stews, soups, barbecue, sotos, gulai, and also as an addition
to Indonesian-style instant noodles.
Indonesians have developed original gastronomic themes
with lemongrass and galangal, cardamom and chilies, tamarind and turmeric.[2]
Unlike Indian cooking tradition that favours dried spice powder mix, Indonesian cuisine is more
akin to Thai, which favours the use of fresh ingredients. Traditionally, this mixture of spices and
other aromatic ingredients is freshly ground into a moist paste using a mortar and pestle.[3]
The spice mixture is commonly made by slicing, chopping, grinding, beating, bruising, or
sometimes dryroasting the spices, using traditional cooking tools such as stone mortar and
pestle, or a modern blender or food processor. The bumbu mixture is usually stir-fried in
hot cooking oil first to release its aroma, prior to adding the main ingredient (usually meats,
poultry, or fish).
The equivalent in the Malaysian cuisine is rempah.[4]
Contents
1Function
2Spices
3Seasonings
4Basic bumbu
5See also
6References
7External links
Function[edit]
Indonesian dishes such as Balinese nasi campur are rich with bumbu (herbs, spices, and seasoning)
The main function of bumbu is to add flavour and aroma, but prior to the invention
of refrigeration technology, spices were used as preservatives. Garlic, shallots, ginger and
galangal have antimicrobial properties and serve as natural organic preservatives.[5]
Spices[edit]
Known throughout the world as the "Spice Islands", the Indonesian islands of Maluku contributed
to the introduction of its native spices to world cuisine. Spices such
as pala (nutmeg/mace), cengkih (clove), daun pandan (Pandan leaves), keluak (Pangium edule)
and lengkuas (galangal) are native to Indonesia. It is likely that lada hitam (black
pepper), kunyit (turmeric), serai (lemongrass), daun kari (curry leaf), bawang
merah (shallot), kayu manis (cinnamon), kemiri (candlenut), ketumbar (coriander), jahe (ginger)
and asam jawa (tamarind) were introduced from India or mainland Southeast Asia, while daun
bawang (scallions) and bawang putih (garlic) were introduced from China. Those spices from
mainland Asia were introduced early, in ancient times, thus they became integral ingredients in
Indonesian cuisine. While the New World spices such as chili
pepper and tomato were introduced by Portuguese and Spanish traders during the age of
exploration in the 16th century. List of spices used in bumbu are:[6][7][8]
Adas manis (anise)
Andaliman (sichuan pepper)
Asam jawa (tamarind)
Bawang bombai (onion)
Bawang merah (shallot)
Bawang perei (leek)
Bawang putih (garlic)
Bunga lawang (star anise)
Bunga pala (mace)
Cabai rawit (bird's eye chillies)
Cabai merah (red chilli pepper)
Cengkih (clove)
Daun bawang (scallion)
Daun jeruk (lime leaf)
Daun kari or salam koja (curry leaf)
Daun kemangi (basil)
Daun pandan (Pandan leaf)
Daun salam (Indonesian bay leaf)
Jahe (ginger)
Jeruk purut (kaffir lime)
Jeruk nipis (key lime)
Jintan (caraway)
Kepulaga (cardamom)
Kayu manis (cinnamon)
Kecombrang (wild ginger)
Kencur (Kaempferia galanga)
Kemiri (candlenut)
Ketumbar (coriander)
Keluak or kluwek (Pangium edule)
Kunyit or kunir (turmeric)
Lengkuas or laos (galangal)
Lada hitam (black pepper)
Lada putih (white pepper)
Lokio (chives)
Pala (nutmeg)
Peterseli (parsley)
Seledri (celery)
Serai (lemongrass)
Temu kunci (Chinese keys)
Temu lawak (curcuma)
Seasonings[edit]
Mayones (mayonnaise)
Moster (mustard)
Saus barbekyu (barbecue sauce)
Saus teriyaki (teriyaki sauce)
Basic bumbu[edit]
In Indonesian cuisine there are many variations of bumbu spice mixtures, varying based on
individual recipes and regional cuisine traditions. For example, Balinese cuisine includes basa
genep bumbu, while Minang cuisine includes pemasak bumbu. However, there are four generic
basic bumbu generally recognized in broader Indonesian cuisine and identified by color.[9] These
generally consist of a mixture of spices stir-fried in coconut oil, which can be used fresh or stored
under refrigeration for later use.