A True Sensational Culinary Treasure of Indonesia: Sambals

From the point of view of a predestined anti-spicy person.

Indonesians, who doesn’t know sambal? This additional dish is now sitting at the top list of Indonesia’s most wanted culinary delights. Not to mention, this dish has already become an ‘unofficial’ prominent dish to be served at any traditional or even global events alike. People do enjoy its sensational burning stuff dancing in their mouth, instead of being paranoid to taste it again. For me, if I was given an opportunity to be a dish or a meal only for a day, I’ll choose the dish I’ve always been in a love-hate relationship with: The Sambal. 

Sambal is a need for a lot of Indonesians. But for me, it’s more like a way to reduce my dehydration since I always bloat-drink any water near me each time a piece of sambal lands on the tip of my tongue. Yes, I couldn’t actually enjoy them, yet it always seemed to be the most delicious thing I could ever add to my meal. I see people’s faces turning red while eating this dish, yet they still could throw a chef’s kiss right after they race to the restroom. Like sambal has its own power to attract people with the challenges it offers, and only the strongest ones will survive and eventually fall in love with it. Alas, I’m one of those Indonesian people who is fated to be a long-distance admirer of this full-of-contradiction dish. 

Sambals are incredibly versatile and often feature a range of texture, spiciness and other variations that make them an interesting dish to hunt for. It plays a central role in Indonesian cuisine and culture. Each region has its own characteristics of sambals. And needless to say, the range of challenge and addiction it offers differ in each variation. 

The sambal has all the things that would actually fit me well if only I was predestined to be non-allergic to sambal. As a type of person who loves challenges, I don’t like my food to taste flat. I think I’d love a more crunchy and textured sambal as I love something unusual. I'd like to add some umami flavors to my sambal to increase the addiction level. I’d also like to add something to make my sambal stand out from the crowd, like anchovies or calamari. The fit-anything-well characteristic of sambal is one of my favorite things about this dish. I find sambal’s capacity to embody the cultural traditions really fascinating and reflective of Indonesia's journey to freedom, making it more than just a condiment I could never reach; it’s a representation of an entire culture and journey. 

So next time you find yourself at an Indonesian restaurant, don’t be afraid to ask for more sambals. I’d stand back to my seat and again, become a star-crossed lover to this challenging-yet-thrilling culinary delight.