The Meaning Behind Indonesian Family's Favorite Eid Meal

Illustration (Amallia Eka/Pexels)

JAKARTA - Rice, lontong, or ketupat are identical as lebaran dishes. This food is usually served with side dishes in the form of vegetables, chicken opor, or fried sambal as a complement to the taste. Not only present to enliven the feast, apparently the variety of food that is usually served during Eid also has its own meaning. What are the meanings of chicken opor dish, meat stew, to ketupat? Let's take a look at the following more information.

Meat stew

Jengkol stew that became a typical food of Betawi residents or typical malbi stew palembang, it turns out its origin from the Netherlands. Stew is the absorption language of the word "smoor" (Dutch) which means to be boiled with tomatoes and onions slowly. According to Groot Nieuw Volledig Oost-Indisch Kookboek (1902), smoor was developed by Peranakan Europeans. Spices used in stews, such as nutmeg and cloves, became an attraction for dutch people who did not have these ingredients.

Well, it could be the meaning behind this Lebaran dish is an offering and an award, because initially stew became the meal of citizens of European descent. It's just that over time stews become part of Indonesian cuisine, and are served at various traditional celebrations. Betawi people themselves always present stews during Eid and wedding ceremonies.

Chicken opor

Chicken opor becomes a mandatory pair of ketupat. This dish is a boiled chicken cooked with thick coconut milk seasoned with lemongrass, kencur, galangal, coriander, hazelnuts, and so on. In addition to chicken opor, in Javanese tradition ketupat is also served with sambal goreng ati.

The meaning behind this Lebaran dish you definitely did not expect. The pronunciation of coconut milk is similar to "pangapunten" (apology), so the presentation of opor has the symbolic meaning of admitting mistakes sincerely and followed by an apology.

Ketupat

Lebaran will not be complete without the presence of ketupat. Ketupat or kupat can be a substitute for rice or lontong, made from rice wrapped in woven janur. Ketupat was once a favorite food menu of Sunan Kalijaga when spreading Islam in Central Java.

He likes this food because it is durable, considering the journey for shirk religion itself is so long that it takes a long-lasting meal to supply for days. In Javanese itself "kupat" also means "kula ndherek lepat" or I plead guilty. Later, ketupat became a symbol of food when everyone pleaded guilty and forgave each other.

Rendang

According to Andalas University Historian Prof. Gusti Asnan, rendang is thought to be a popular dish since minang people began to travel to Malacca to trade in the early 16th century. Because it has to go through a long journey, rendang is the right choice for food for supplies.

Besides delicious, rendang also has a deep philosophy. Minang people believe that rendang has three meanings about attitude, namely patience, wisdom, and perseverance.