Crack some eggs, add some spices, roast a little, then Kerak Telor will be ready to serve. It is another indigenous cuisine from Jakarta, a Betawi traditional omelet from chicken or duck eggs, but in crunchy version, thus the name is Kerak Telor, from kerak or crust, and eggs or telor.
Asian is well known to eat rice with almost everything, even snacks. But the main difference in Kerak Telor, instead of steamed rice, glutinous rice is directly added to be roasted along with eggs and other ingredients, such as dried shrimp, along with other spices, producing a crunchy sensation.
Using eggs as the main ingredients, you can choose between chicken or duck eggs. Some people prefer using duck eggs as they have more savory taste. Kerak Telor is known to be easily found around Central and West Jakarta, near Jakarta’s landmark, National Monument or Monas. Other than in those areas, the dish is not easily found elsewhere because it is rarely found in restaurants’ menus. Kerak Telor is usually sold by a street peddler who carries their bakul or traditional basket on their shoulders by walking around the city.
There are some convenient ways to find Kerak Telor peddler, one of them is visiting Jakarta Fair, it is an annual festival held every year to celebrate the capital city’s birthday. There will be many Kerak Telor sellers setting up their stalls around the area. It usually starts around the middle of June and will end in the middle of July. It is called Pekan Raya Jakarta, or in literal translation, Jakarta Fair. There will be many kinds of activities, including shopping, concerts, and many more.
However, if you want to try Kerak Telor even though the annual event hasn’t started or already ended, you can still find it around Jakarta area. Not every Jakartans know when and where to find an original Kerak Telor, but you can leave it to Jakarta Walking Tour Happy Walkers for guidance. Join our Jakarta Food tour, and we will gladly help you find a route full of delicacies as you stay in Jakarta. Have an unforgettable journey to find the authentic taste of Jakarta with us.