5 Most Delicious Vegan Food in Java Indonesia

Java is a beautiful island located near the Earth Equator, making this place most suitable for any kind of crop and plant growing up across the land. Furthermore, people on this island creatively developed any kind of food based on those plants. This vegan food even becomes a mascot of a city or the most popular diet in that city. This ingredient makes this food full of nutrition and vitamin which is good to maintain our health. Although vegan food, the flavor is not less delicious than meat-based meals. If you stay in Indonesia and trying to search for this kind of food, below is some recommendation for vegan food that exists on java island. You might easily find it in the traditional market or in a small restaurant called "warung" along the roadside.

1. Pecel

Pecel is a sauce made from milled nuts mixed with a leave of lime and chili and some brown sugar and salt. This is the native diet of people in Madiun city. Even more delicious when it eat together with fried tempeh, chicken, and of course steamed rice as a base diet for Indonesian people. This meal is sometimes served on banana leaves or teak tree leaves.

2. Sayur Bening

Sayur Bening is a kind of vegetable mixed with spinach as the main ingredient. This look like greenish clear water with spinach on it. That's why it is called "Bening" because it means clear. It is more delicious when eaten together with fried tempeh and tofu. Usually, we'll get the sweet taste.

3. Sayur Asem

There're several versions of Sayur Asem in Indonesia, as well as its taste. In East Java, "Sayur Asem" might look like Sayur Bening but with a little bit of sour taste. But in Central Java, it looks like more cloudy broth and additional spicy taste. Other than that, it's a good diet option for vegetarians.

4. Tumis Kangkung

It uses water spinach as the main ingredient. Then it stir-fries together with spices such as garlic, red onions, chili, and a bit of water. We can say this dish is a dry version of Sayur Bening. Rich in fiber and nutritious meals. You can find it in every small restaurant, or you can make it yourself.

5. Rujak

One of the most favored vegetarian meals is Rujak. Rujak consists of many variations of fruit that are mixed together with spicy sauce.

There are 3 types of Rujak: 

1. Rujak Buah: Contain fruits such as slices of mango, pawpaw, star fruit, and pineapple. Sauce made of brown sugar, tamarind, and chilli.
2. Rujak Petis: Use water spinach, tempeh, and tofu. It has delicious nut sauce mixed with milled banana and of course with Petis.
3. Rujak Cingur: Same with Rujak Petis but with additional Cingur (meat ruminants of lips) not recommended for vegetarians.

That's all 5 vegetarian food on Java Island. However, there are many other vegetarian foods you can find when traveling to Java.

Read also 5 Strange Mystery on Prambanan Temple