An eager appetite is paramount when talking about the rich, hearty cuisine of Aceh.
The northernmost city in Indonesia, Aceh, is part of Banda Aceh province, which is one of two special territories (daerah istimewa) in the country, the other one being Yogyakarta. The city is known for its cultural and natural tourism, diving destinations, and more importantly – or deliciously – its culinary offerings.
The most important necessity to bring when visiting Aceh is your appetite. With dishes that are rich in flavours and textures, like mie Aceh, gulee sie kameng, kuah sie itek, sate matang, ayam tangkap, martabak Aceh, mie jalak Sabang, and rujak Aceh, among others, this city is not for dainty diners.
Mie Aceh
Indonesia has countless, varied noodle dishes, and one of the most famous ones is mie Aceh. The thick yellow noodles are usually served with either beef, lamb or seafood (mostly squid and prawns). There are three kinds of mie Aceh, with soup, stir-fried and served dry, or sautéed and served with a little soup.
Ayam tangkap
This fried chicken dish epitomises easy, comfort food that’s also delicious and tasty. To ensure the flavoursome quality, the chicken is marinated for a while in garlic, pepper, salt, ginger, and candlenut. Once ready, the chicken is fried for five to ten minutes along with curry leaves and pandan leaves, which are served with the chicken.
Martabak Aceh
Slightly different from the martabak telor found in many cities in Indonesia, martabak Aceh uses an omelette as the wrap, as opposed to the usual pastry-like layer. Inside the omelette wrap, seasoned with chopped shallots and scallions, you can find the roti canai. Completing the simple yet delish dish is the beef curry on the side.
