Page 26 - EBOOK_81 Homestyle Recipes With The True Taste Of Indonesia

different taste, texture, and size.
Misoa (Somen) Thanks to the Chinese influence in Indonesia, Misoa noodles or somen, are a popular noodle
that’s used mostly in soups. Misoa are white, thin noodles boasting a very mild, gentle flavor, and soft texture
thanks to the stretching it undergoes during production. When cooking with Misoa, it’s important to remember
that these noodles absorb so much liquid and so maintaining a proportion of the noodles and soup is crucial to
the success of the dish. Commonly sold in Asian markets along with other dry noodles and usually near the
soba buckwheat noodles, it is typically packaged in already portioned bunches.
Rice Stick, Noodles (Bihun) Rice stick noodles are known in the West by several names, such as thin rice
noodles, rice vermicelli, or chow fun. Made from rice, Bihun is very different from the heavier and richer egg
noodles. A wide variety of rice noodles are sold in Asian markets and it’s important to purchase the right
type. Some brands from China produce rice noodles that appear slightly curly and in my experience, those
yield flavorless and rubbery noodles. The ones to look for have a uniform off-white coloring and are typically
packaged in large bunches with a smooth, even texture throughout. Do not confuse rice noodles with the
clearer mung bean noodles, (known in Indonesia as Soun) or the larger sized varieties of Vietnamese rice
noodles used for Pho.
Cellophane, Noodles Also known as glass noodles, these are made from the starch of mung beans (or
other bean products) and, as the name implies are glassy in appearance. They are highly absorbent and will
pick up the flavors of the dish. Be careful when cooked with oil because the absorbent qualities can make
them greasy.

Indonesian Palm Sugar (Gula Jawa) This type of palm sugar is also known as Gula Merah, or red sugar, and is
one of the most misinterpreted ingredients in the West. This is a dense sugar derived from the palmyra palm but is
extremely different from palm sugars typically sold in western markets. While the western varieties of palm sugar
are also hard and dense, they are a light to dark brown in color and less moist than Javanese sugar. Javanese sugar
has an earthy aroma and deep sweetness with a color closely resembling molasses. In Asian markets in the West
I’ve only encountered one type of Indonesian Javanese sugar sold and those are in cylindrical shapes covered in
white plastic wrap with the words “ Gula Jawa ” printed on the packaging. This wonderfully rich and full-bodied
sugar is unique to Indonesia, its flavor and moist, crumbly texture has no imitators. When recipes call for Javanese
sugar, it is best not to substitute. These days most Asian markets carry it, along with online Asian grocery stores.
When absolutely necessary, substitute with dense, tightly packed dark brown sugar. Store in a cool dry place.

Peanuts (Kacang) Recipes calling for peanuts in Indonesian cuisine typically refer to the unsalted, raw version. In
Indonesia, the raw nuts are widely sold in their original shells, while in the West, an easier to use the dry version