Gado-gado is a traditional Indonesian food. In Sundanese, Gado-Gado is often called “Lotek”. Although often known as a typical Indonesian salad, the most dominant element in this dish is the peanut sauce. Where the element is not found in a western-style salad.
You can easily find it in traditional stalls to luxury dining places such as restaurants. Not only in Indonesia, but also in foreign restaurants that list Indonesian specialties.
History
Until now it has not been ascertained where the word gado-gado came from. In the Indonesian Dictionary, the meaning of the word gado cannot be explained. Even in the Betawi language (one of the Indonesian traditional languages) which is believed to be the place where this food originated, the word gado cannot be explained.
However, the term gado-gado itself is often used to describe various mixtures of elements. Such as the term gado-gado marriage which means marriage between two people who have different ethnic, racial, religious, and cultural backgrounds.
Accordingly, the term gado-gado can be interpreted as mixed, because this food consists of many types of vegetables that are boiled or steamed.
Inggridients
Peanut seasoning is the main component that gives the gado-gado a dominant taste. The combination of vegetables and peanut sauce is able to create a salty, sweet, savory, and spicy taste. The spicy taste of peanut sauce can be adjusted to the buyer’s order.
This Indonesian salad is made using a variety of vegetables. Even so, there are a number of vegetables that are commonly used in this food that are a favorite of many people. Here are some types of vegetables that are often used to make hodgepodge.
- Boiled vegetables consisting of green vegetables such as cabbage, kale, spinach, bean sprouts, lettuce, and long beans. All the vegetables are sliced ​​and chopped to mix well
- Boiled potatoes cut into small pieces
- Sliced ​​raw cucumber
- Boiled eggs that are peeled and cut into small pieces
- Diced tofu and tempeh
