Beef Cheek Rendang

Beef Cheek Rendang

By Akbar Wasisson

What’s your favorite curry?  Maybe you will say Jalfrezi and Dhansak from India?  Thinking further east, there are two wonderfully aromatic curries besides India, the first is Thai curries fragrant with lemongrass and lime tempered by luscious coconut and Japanese curries are sweet and fruity. Now if you were to ask me what my favorite curry is, I would have no doubt in saying Rendang. In various culinary International festivals, Europeans often look for Rendang as a culinary to taste. At first, Minangkabau people used to wander everywhere. Therefore, Rendang was made because people of West Sumatra needed a cuisine that can be brought wherever they go for more than two months. Besides, it was used as cuisine stocks of Hajj people because it took for months to go to Mecca. In addition, many people don’t know that Rendang has some uniqueness that makes it well-known. 

Firstly, Rendang has a difficult cooking method. Cooking Rendang is quite difficult because it needs a real acquisition of someone to create the typical taste of Rendang. If we only cook it with small fire then it will just be a meat curry. If the cooking process is not completed or half-baked then it will just be a Kalio, whereas when we cook it a little bit longer then it will be a Rendang. Because of that, cooking Rendang needs a long time, it is around 3-4 hours to make the flavors soaked out perfectly. In cooking Rendang, we must use coconut milk in order to get the tasty taste that is made by the fat that is contained in the old coconut. One thing that should be prioritized in making Rendang is stirring the coconut milk which is done continuously until the Rendang blackish colored.

Secondly, Rendang has a special characteristic of its taste. As we know, Rendang is a typical food from West Sumatra. So, it is made with Indonesian traditional flavors such as onion, ginger, salt, etc. But most of the people don’t know that Rendang is also made with Indian flavors such as red chili, coriander, and garlic that were gotten from Gujarat sellers. This kind of collaboration brings a unique taste that differentiates Rendang and other Sumatran traditional foods. Europeans also love Rendang because its taste has a particular combination between Eastern Europe and Indian special taste. Because of its unique taste, Rendang can be served with any side dishes, especially eggs and omelets. Rendang is usually mixed with sweet potato, that is cut into small pieces and dried. By its special characteristic of taste, Rendang is claimed as the most delicious traditional food in Indonesia.

Thirdly, Rendang has a uniqueness that is not owned by other foods because Rendang can last up for 2 months without having heated anymore. It is really suitable for overseas students or students who are eager to save money. The longer Rendang is stored, the better Rendang we will have. Rendang can be that long-lasting because it is cooked with natural herbs that consist of an antiseptic essence such as garlic, red onion, ginger, and galangal. Therefore, they can kill pathogenic bacteria and become a natural preservative. No wonder, Rendang can be stored for months. That’s why Rendang is unique and different from other traditional food in Indonesia.

From all those explanations, we know that its difficult cooking method, its special characteristic of taste and its long-lastingness are the reasons why Rendang is an unique food from West Sumatra. Those also the reasons why many people around the world love Rendang and claim it as one of the delicious foods in the world.