dare taste : 6 varieties of indonesia's burning sambal
Ever feel like you need to spice up your life? Well, try to literally spice up your tongue, at least, by trying some of Indonesia's hottest, spiciest, and of course tastiest, types of hot sauces known as “sambal”, the inseparable must-have condiment to go with any Indonesian cuisine.
Many Indonesians have a tongue of steel because many regions across Indonesia can not live without sambal and each has its own type. Depending on the region, the sambal could either be sweet, salty, sour or just simply spicy. The list compiled below is just a few of the hottest and spiciest sambals available throughout the archipelago.
Prepare a glass of water or warm tea because you'll definitely need this to compensate and cool down after sampling some of these fiery delights. Cold water is not an antidote.
Sambal Matah is a fresh type of sambal from Bali that is spicy and refreshing at the same time. This is another type of sambal that uses fresh raw ingredients, including red chilies, green chilies, Asian shallots, green tomatoes, lemongrass, terasi (shrimp paste), kaffir lime leaves and kaffir lime juice. This spicy goodness is the most popular type of sambal originating from Bali and can be found in just about any Balinese restaurant.
Best served with: rice and grilled fish or seafood
2.SAMBAL ROA
Sambal Roa is a typical chili sauce from Manado in North Sulawesi province made from Roa fish(galafea). Roa is a type of smoked fish that comes from North Manado. It is basically the roa fish sauteed in extremely hot chili, though some commercial products produced outside of Sulawesi tone down the heat so more people can enjoy it. Many consider this to be a side dish or main companion for rice because it already includes fish. If you manage to get your hands on the real deal, don't forget to taste with caution.
Best served with: rice or Bubur Manado (Manado porridge)
3.SAMBAL KOREK
Originating from Solo in Central Java, this sambal only consists of four ingredients: tons of small red chilies (the hot ones), Asian shallots, garlic and salt. The ingredients are then chopped and meshed together using a mortar and pestle and then mixed with hot oil before serving. The name Korek literally means scrape, which is how people eat this super spicy hot sauce. They scrape the sambal little by little because too much would be too hot for the tongue to handle.
Best served with: rice and fried duck or chicken
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