My favorite chai kue ingredients are bengkoang, a root vegetable that tastes like potato mixed with onion, and kucai, an herb that tastes like green onion and garlic.
One reason why Indonesian people are very proud of their food is because it is very flavorful and fresh. I love Indonesian food because I taste flavors that are so different from our cuisine, or type of food, in America! The food is often very simple--for example, chicken or beef, noodles or rice and vegetables--but the flavors and spices added make any simple meal so tasty!
Most of the food here is prepared on a stove with a pot or pan. Most of the food is fried (in hot oil), boiled (in hot water) or steamed (in hot air over water). The meat--like chicken and beef--is either fried or grilled.
One type of food that Indonesian cuisine does not have a lot of is baked items. Most people do not use ovens, so we don't eat a lot of baked foods. If you want something sweet, there are still lots of bakery shops that make the usual baked foods, like cookies, cakes and donuts; however, for normal eating everyday, we usually don't have anything that is baked!
All of the food comes from Indonesia or from nearby countries, such as Thailand, China or Australia. You can't find many Indonesian spices, vegetables and fruits in America.
Another popular food item is juice. When you go to a restaurant, many menus will have 10, 20 or even 30 different kinds of juices to try!
