As we have introduced varieties of soup in Jakarta in the previous article, now we could move on to other soups of Indonesia. Aside from Jakarta as the capital city, other provinces also offer a rich variety of soups, for example, sop pindang ikan patin (shark catfish soup) from Palembang, South Sumatera, and sop konro (beef soup) from Makassar, South Sulawesi. Both soups that come from outside Jakarta are also popular among the locals.

First, about sop pindang ikan patin. It is a soup dish using shark catfish as a main ingredient. The cooking method is also out of the ordinary, it is called “pindang”, a cooking method by boiling the fish meat in brine or acidic solutions. It is a relatively simple dish that is easy to cook using only a few ingredients such as lemongrass, turmeric, galangal, chili, and tamarind boiled in a broth. It has a savory and a hint of sour taste from the tamarind. The freshness of the soup makes it a popular soup in Jakarta.

The other type of soup is sop konro. Konro literally means cow in South Sulawesi. The main ingredient for this dish is beef ribs or other parts of cow. Meanwhile sop pindang ikan patin is a simple dish, on the other hand, konro are richer in flavor as it is using many varieties of Indonesian spices such as coriander, nutmeg, galanga, aromatic ginger, cinnamon, clove, and keluak that adds the black color in the dish.

Konro has a “dry” version, in which the beef ribs and meat are grilled, and the soup is served separately, and widely known as konro bakar. The taste of this dish is relatively richer with sweet and savory as a dominant flavor. This dish can be found in Makassar restaurant or a restaurant that sells particularly sop konro and konro bakar as a main dish.

Ready to taste a warm and delicious soup in Jakarta? Then let’s walk with us in Jakarta Food Tour to taste unique and authentic Indonesian food. See you around!