Soto (food)

Soto

Soto ayam or chicken soto, with yellow coconut milk broth, the slices of lontong and fried shallot
Alternative names Sroto, Coto, Tauto
Course Main course
Place of origin Indonesia
Region or state Nationwide in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore
Associated national cuisine Indonesian cuisine
Serving temperature Hot
Main ingredients Various traditional Indonesian chicken, beef, or offal soups
Variations Rich variations across Indonesia
Cookbook: Soto  Media: Soto

Soto (also known as sroto, tauto, or coto) is a traditional Indonesian soup mainly composed of broth, meat and vegetables. Many traditional soups are called soto, whereas foreign and Western influenced soups are called sop.

Soto is sometimes considered Indonesia's national dish, as it is served from Sumatra to Papua, in a wide range of variations. Soto is omnipresent in Indonesia, available in many warungs and open-air eateries on many street corners, to fine dining restaurants and luxurious hotels.[1] Soto, especially soto ayam (chicken soto), is an Indonesian equivalent of chicken soup. Because it is always served warm with a tender texture, it is considered an Indonesian comfort food.[2][3][4]

Because of the proximity and significant numbers of Indonesian migrants working and settling in neighbouring countries, soto can also be found in Singapore and Malaysia, and has become a part of their cuisine.

Introduced to Suriname by Javanese migrants, it is part of the national cuisine of that country as well, where it is spelled saoto.[5]

History

In the Indonesian archipelago, soto is known by different names. In the local Javanese dialect, it is called soto, while in Pekalongan it is called tauto, and the dish also reached Makassar where it is called coto. Soto is found to be most prevalent in Java, and suggested that the hearty soup was originated from that island, and over the years this dish branched off in an assorted array of soto varieties.[6]

Although soto was undoubtedly developed in the Indonesian archipelago and each region has developed its own distinctive soto recipes, some historians suggest that it was probably influenced by foreign culinary tradition, especially Chinese. Denys Lombard in his book Le Carrefour Javanais suggested that the origin of soto was a Chinese soup, caudo, popular in Semarang among Chinese immigrants during colonial VOC era, circa 17th century.[7]

Another scholar suggests that it was more likely a mixture of cooking traditions in the region, namely Chinese, Indian, and native Indonesian cuisine.[8] There are traces of Chinese influence such as the use of bihun (rice vermicelli) and the preference for fried garlic as a condiment, while the use of turmeric suggests Indian influence. Another example is soto betawi from Jakarta uses minyak samin (ghee), which indicates Arab or Muslim Indian influences.[9] Another historian suggest that some soto recipe reflects the past condition of its people. Soto tangkar, which today is a meat soup, was mostly made from the broth of goat rib-cage bones (Betawi:tangkar) in the past because meat was expensive, or the common population of Batavia were too poor to afford some meat back then.[10] Soto recipes has been highly localized according to local tradition and available ingredients, for example in Hindu-majority island of Bali, soto babi (pork soto) can be found, since Hindu Balinese prefer pork while beef is seldom consumed, they also do not shared Indonesian Muslim halal dietary law that forbid the consumption of pork.

The meat soup dish influenced various regions and each developed its own recipes, with the ingredients being highly localized according to available ingredients and local cooking traditions. As a result, rich variants of soto were developed across Indonesia.

Varieties

The spread of soto in Indonesian archipelago was followed by the localization of Soto's recipe, according to available ingredients and distinctive local taste.[7] As the result, myriad soto recipes and variations can be found in Indonesia.

By regions

Soto Betawi, mainly consisting of offal in creamy milk or coconut milk soup, from Jakarta

Some sotos are named based on the town or region where they are created:

By primary ingredient

Soto ayam with clear yellow broth, garnished with emping crackers and fried shallot.

Other sotos are named based upon their chief ingredient:

Accompaniments

Soto Bangkong from Semarang, chicken soto with cockles and tripes satay, fried tempeh and perkedel

The following accompaniments are often eaten alongside soto:

Ingredients

Chicken soto with eggs and tripes satay

The meats that are most commonly used are chicken and beef, but there are also variations with offal, mutton, and water buffalo meat. Pork is seldom used in traditional Indonesian soto, however in Hindu majority Bali, soto babi (pork soto) can be found.[21] The soup is usually accompanied by rice or compressed rice cakes (lontong, ketupat or burasa). Offal is considered as a delicacy: the rumen (blanket/flat/smooth tripe), reticulum (honeycomb and pocket tripe), omasum (book/bible/leaf tripe) and the intestines are all eaten.

Other ingredients of soto include soun alternatively spelled as sohun or bihun (rice vermicelli), mung bean sprouts and scallion. Common soto spices include shallots, garlic, turmeric, galangal, ginger, coriander, salt, candlenut and pepper.

The color, thickness and consistency of soto soup could vary according to each recipes. Soto can have a light and clear broth just like soto bandung, a yellow transparent broth (coloured with turmeric) like the one that can be found in soto ayam, or a rich and thick coconut milk or milk broth just like those in soto kaki or soto betawi.

Soto in Malaysia and Singapore has a certain expected clear-soup look made of chicken broth, with spicy taste mixed with rice cubes.[22] It seems that soto served there derived from common soto ayam type with a clear and slightly yellow-colored broth, pretty much similar to East Javanese soto lamongan or soto madura. Like many dishes, it may have been brought into the country by the many Javanese migrants in the early 20th century.

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Soto.

References

  1. ↑ "A Soto Crawl". Eating Asia. March 21, 2009. Retrieved July 7, 2010.
  2. ↑ "Indonesia - Soto Ayam at Malioboro Country". Chowhound. October 29, 2011. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  3. ↑ Sompotan, Johan (January 1, 2012). "Soto Siap Susul Rendang". Okezone.com. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  4. ↑ "Indonesian Chicken Noodle Soup (Soto Ayam)". Food.com. September 26, 2006. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Saoto Soup (Surinamese-Javanese)". multiculticooking.com. Retrieved April 29, 2013.
  6. ↑ Frederik, Claudine (30 June 2002). "Varieties of 'soto' to please all types of palates". The Jakarta Post. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  7. 1 2 Windratie (3 December 2014). "Jejak Akulturasi dalam Semangkuk Soto" (in Indonesian). CNN Indonesia. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  8. ↑ Simatupang, Lono. Universitas Gadjah Mada Anthropology
  9. ↑ "'Cipratan' Luar Ke Dalam" (in Indonesian). Femina. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
  10. ↑ Endah Hulupi, Maria (22 June 2003). "Betawi cuisine, a culinary journey through history". The Jakarta Post. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
  11. 1 2 Albala, K. (2011). Food Cultures of the World Encyclopedia. Food Cultures of the World Encyclopedia. Greenwood. p. 2-PA109. ISBN 978-0-313-37626-9. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
  12. 1 2 Rsp. Fav. ala Cake: Sop & Soto (in Finnish). Gramedia Pustaka Utama. p. 5. ISBN 978-979-22-3106-9. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
  13. ↑ Erwin, L.T. (2008). 100 PTM: Sop & Soto. Gramedia Pustaka Utama. p. 6. ISBN 978-979-22-3908-9. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
  14. ↑ Von Holzen, H.; Arsana, L. (2013). Authentic Recipes from Indonesia. Tuttle Publishing. p. 53. ISBN 978-1-4629-0535-5. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
  15. ↑ Harpham, Z.; Books, M. (2004). The Essential Wok Cookbook. Murdoch Books. p. 34. ISBN 978-1-74045-413-1. Retrieved Feb 1, 2015.
  16. ↑ "kumpulan resep soto ayam" (in Indonesian). resepsotoayam.com. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
  17. ↑ "Soto Ceker Kuta Is a Local Legend". Qraved. January 21, 2015.
  18. ↑ "Gandaria street food satisfies palates of all". The Jakarta Post. Jakarta. 7 November 2015.
  19. ↑ "Resep Soto Tangkar" (in Indonesian). Bango. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  20. ↑ Whitmarsh, A.; Wood, M. (2013). Jakarta: 25 Excursions in and Around the Indonesian Capital. Tuttle Publishing. p. 119. ISBN 978-1-4629-0893-6. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
  21. 1 2 "Sup Babi ( Pig Soup ), Babi Guling Bu Rai Beras Merah" (in Indonesian). December 5, 2011. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  22. ↑ Ariffin, Nadge (2 January 2009). "The Authoritative Soto". Friedchillies.com. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
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