Sayur asem
Sayur asem or sayur asam is an Indonesian vegetable soup. It is a popular Southeast Asian dish, consisting of vegetables in tamarind soup. Common ingredients are peanuts, young jackfruit, young leaves and unpeeled seeds of melinjo, bilimbi, chayote, long beans, all cooked in tamarind-based soups and sometimes enriched with beef stock. Quite often, the recipe also includes corn.
The origin of the dish can be traced to Sundanese people of West Java, Banten and Jakarta region. It is well-known belongs within Sundanese cuisine and Betawi daily diet. Several variations exist including sayur asem Jakarta, sayur asem kangkung, sayur asem ikan asin, and sayur asem kacang merah. The Karo version of sayur asem is made using torch ginger buds and, more importantly, the sour-tasting seed pods.
The sweet and sour flavour of this dish is considered refreshing and very compatible with fried or grilled dishes, including fish and lalapan, a kind of vegetable salad usually raw but can also be cooked, and is usually eaten with sambal terasi. Sayur asem rembang is a vegetable soup with a sour flavor.
