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What to eat in Java? Top 4 Javanese Sauces

Last update: Thu Feb 13 2025
Top 4 Javanese Sauces
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01

Sauce

JAVA, Indonesia and  one more country
4.4
Sambal terasi
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Sambal terasi is a traditional and Malaysian sauce and a variety of sambal. It's made with a combination of red chili peppers and shrimp paste (terasi) as the main ingredients. Various other ingredients are added to the sauce such as garlic, shallots, tomatoes, onions, lime juice, oil, sugar, and salt.


This fiery sauce is used as a condiment or an accompaniment to many dishes such as Malaysian lam mee noodles. In Malaysia, sambal terasi is known as sambal belacan.

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02

Sauce

JAVA, Indonesia
4.3
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MAIN INGREDIENTS

This quintessential Southeast Asian condiment is usually made only with spicy chili peppers and salt. It is occasionally adapted with lime juice, onions, sugar, ginger, shrimp paste, or vinegar. Traditionally prepared in a mortar, it is characterized by its thick consistency and an incredibly strong and sharp flavor.


This original Indonesian creation has gained worldwide acclaim, and store bought varieties are available at numerous Asian food markets and international stores around the world. Sambal is used in a variety of Asian dishes, usually as a spicy condiment, seasoning, or a topping served alongside meat, seafood, vegetables, or rice.

VARIATIONS OF Sambal

MOST ICONIC Sambal

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03

Sauce

EAST JAVA, Indonesia
4.3
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Indonesian pecel may refer to a fragrant peanut sauce or a combination of the sauce and various vegetables, when it is commonly referred to as a salad. The base of the sauce is prepared with roasted peanuts and spices that typically include chili peppers, palm sugar, garlic, tamarind juice, shrimp paste, kaffir lime leaves, salt, and kencur, an aromatic ginger variety.


Usually associated with Java, the sauce is characterized by its distinctive combination of sweet and spicy flavors. When served with rice, the dish goes under the name nasi pecel.

MOST ICONIC Pecel

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04

Sauce

JAVA, Indonesia
n/a
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Sambal bajak is a rich and savory Indonesian chili paste that's more complex in flavor compared to simpler sambals like sambal ulek. It's a cooked sambal, meaning the ingredients are sautéed together, which develops a deeper, more integrated flavor profile.


Sambal bajak includes a blend of chili peppers, shallots, garlic, tamarind, palm sugar, and often shrimp paste (terasi) for umami depth. Additional ingredients like lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime leaves can also be included to enhance its aromatic qualities. 

TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.

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Javanese Sauces