List of Indonesian desserts explained

This is a list of Indonesian desserts. In Indonesia, desserts are called as pencuci mulut or hidangan penutup. The style of cooking and foods in Indonesian cuisine—including desserts—are local cuisine with Arabs, Chinese, Indian, and European (especially Dutch, Portuguese, and Spanish) cuisine influences, adapted to local tastes, local palates and indigenous ingredients. Indonesian desserts are very diverse and rich.

A

NameImageRegion/PopularityDescription
Agar-agarNationwidePuddings flavoured jellies like almond tofu, as well as fruit aspics.
AngsleJavaA mix of melinjo, glutinous rice, peanut, sago pearl, white bread, coconut milk, screwpine leaf, ginger and milk.
Nationwide, with Indian-influencedA steamed dough made of rice flour, coconut milk, yeast and palm sugar, usually served with grated coconut.
AsidaMaluku IslandsA dish made up of a cooked wheat flour lump of dough, sometimes with added butter or honey. It is popular during Ramadan.

B

NameImageRegion/PopularityDescription
BakpiaNationwide, but especially in JavaA popular Indonesian bean-filled moon cake-like pastry.
Bakpia pathokYogyakartaA small patty of baked pastry filled with sweet mung bean paste.
BibingkaJava and Eastern IndonesiaA type of cake made with rice flour, sugar, clarified butter, and coconut milk. Usually served during Christmas.
Bika ambonMedan, North SumatraA type of cake made with as tapioca flour, eggs, sugar, yeast and coconut milk. The yeast creates bubbles, which creates sponge-like holes and gives it a unique spongy texture when it is baked. It is generally sold in pandan and banana flavor, but today it is also available in durian, cheese and chocolate flavour.
Bolu gulungNationwideA type of Swiss roll that filled with butter cream, cheese, kaya, or fruit jam. It is also very common for Swiss rolls to be sold by the slice, but some shops sell by both slice and roll.
Bolu kukusNationwideA sponge cake that mainly only uses wheat flour (without any rice flour and tapioca) with common vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry flavouring, acquired from food flavouring essence as ingredients.
BremMadiun, East JavaBrem is made from fermented tape. Brem is a special snack from Madiun, East Java. The liquid version is light alcoholic beverage also called Brem originated from Bali.
Bubur candilJavaGlutinous rice cake ball stewed in gula jawa (palm sugar), served with thick coconut milk. Similar to kolak biji salak
Bubur cha chaBetawi and MalayA traditional Betawi and Malay dessert, prepared using pearled sago, sweet potatoes, yams, bananas, coconut milk, pandan leaves, sugar and salt. It can be served hot or cold.
Bubur kacang hijauNationwideGreen beans porridge, sweetened with sugar, and served with thick coconut milk.
Bubur ketan hitamNationwideBlack glutinous rice porridge, sweetened with sugar, and served with thick coconut milk.
Bubur sumsumNationwideWhite congee made from rice flour and eaten with brown sugar sauce.

C

NameImageRegion/PopularityDescription
CenilJavaRice flour-based small glutinous cake, sweetened with sugar, moulded and coloured. Served with fresh grated coconut.
CendolNationwideSweet jelly drink, rice flour jelly with green natural coloring from pandan leaf, mixed with coconut milk, shaved ice and palm/brown sugar
CincauNationwideA jelly-like dessert, made using the Platostoma palustre and has a mild, slightly bitter taste. It is served chilled, with other toppings such as fruit, or in bubble tea or other drinks.
ClorotNationwide, but especially JavaneseSticky dough of glutinous rice flour sweetened with coconut sugar filled into the cone-shaped janur (young coconut leaf), and steamed until cooked.

D

NameImageRegion/PopularityDescription
Dadar gulungJavanese, today nationwideUsually has a green colour, which is acquired from daun suji or pandan leaves It is a green-coloured folded omelette or pancake made of rice flour, filled with grated coconut and palm sugar.
DadiahWest SumatraTraditional West Sumatran water buffalo milk yoghurt.[1]
Dodol or jenangJavaRice flour-based small glutinous sweets, sweetened with coconut sugar, moulded and coloured. Often add fruit scent and taste such as durian.

E

NameImageRegion/PopularityDescription
Es buahNationwide
Es campurNationwide Shaved ice with coconut pieces, various fruits (usually jackfruit), grass jelly, syrup and condensed milk
Es cincauNationwideGrass jelly and shredded ice with sugar or syrup.
Es dawetBanjarnegara, Central Java
Es dogerBandung, West JavaCold and sweet coconut ice dessert with syrup and various fillings
Es gabusJavaIce cream that made from sago flour which is boiled with coconut milk and frozen in the refrigerator.
Es kelapa mudaNationwideFresh young coconut, coconut water mixed with or without syrup. Usually served intact whole fruit
Es lilinNationwideVarious flavors ice cream with wooden sticks.
Es puterJavaIce cream that made from coconut milk with a rough texture and traditionally frozen.
Es telerNationwideA mixed of avocado, young coconut, jack fruit, shredded iced with sweet condensed milk.

G

NameImageRegion/PopularityDescription
GeplakYogyakartaSweets made from sugar and grated coconut.
GetukJavaCassava paste, sweetened with sugar and moulded in a special tools that it resembles noodles. Often served with fresh grated coconut.

K

NameImageRegion/PopularityDescription
KlappertaartManado, North SulawesiTart made from flour, sugar, milk, butter, as well as coconut flesh and juice.
KleponNationwideBoiled rice cake, stuffed with coconut sugar, and rolled in fresh grated coconut. It is flavoured with pandan leaves juice.
KolakNationwideA mix of sweet potato, cassava, banana, pumpkin, diced in bite size pieces and stewed in coconut milk and palm sugar. Sometimes vanilla or ginger are added for extra flavour.
Kue bingkaBanjareseA cake made of mashed potato, flour, eggs, sugar, coconut milk, vanilla, milk and margarine, all mixed as dough and baked until golden brown and cooked.
Kue bugisMakassarese, Buginese, and JavaneseA traditional snack of soft glutinous rice flour cake, filled with sweet grated coconut.
Kue cubitNationwideThis cake is called kue cubit because of its small size: to eat it one has to pinch it.
Kue cucurNationwidePancake made of fried rice flour batter and coconut sugar.
Kue kochiMalay, Javanese, and PeranakanA cake dumpling made from glutinous rice flour, and stuffed with coconut fillings with palm sugar.
Kue kuBetawi, Javanese, and Chinese IndonesianA small round or oval shaped Chinese pastry with soft sticky glutinous rice flour skin wrapped around a sweet filling in the centre.
Kue lapisNationwideA traditional snack of colourful layered soft rice flour pudding.
Kue lumpur surgaNationwideCake made from coconut milk, potatoes, flour, and eggs shaped like mud.
Kue maksubaPalembangeseA traditional layered cake which is mainly made with duck egg and sweetened condensed milk without any flours. Each cake needs approximately more than two dozens of duck eggs.
Kue mangkokJavaTraditional steamed cupcake that similar with bolu kukus.
Kue putuNationwideSimilar to klepon, except that it's cylindrical in shape whilst klepon is spherical.
Kue putu mangkokNationwideA round-shaped, traditional steamed rice flour kue or sweet snack filled with palm sugar. This dish similar to kue putu.

L

NameImageRegion/PopularityDescription
LahangWest JavaDrink made from Arenga pinnata (aren) sap
Laksamana mengamukRiau IslandsFresh mango with milk.
Lapis legit or spekukNationwideA spiced layered cake, made mainly of egg yolk, flour and margarine/butter.
LegenEast JavaA drink made of Siwalan palm sap.
LupisJavaGlutinous rice cake wrapped and cooked in banana leaves, served with grated coconut and drizzled with thick coconut sugar syrup.

M

NameImageRegion/PopularityDescription
MadumongsoJavaThis snack made from black sticky rice as a basic ingredient. The taste is mixed with sweet because the black rice is previously processed before it becomes tapai (through the fermentation process) and cooked become dodol.
MeuseukatAcehDodol-like pineapple cake
MochiNationwideRice flour based cake filled with peanuts paste, sometimes sprinkled with sesame seeds.

N

NameImageRegion/PopularityDescription
NagasariNationwideSteamed rice cake wrapped in banana leaves, and stuffed with banana.
Nata de cocoNationwideA jelly-like food produced by the fermentation of coconut water, which gels through the production of microbial cellulose by Komagataeibacter xylinus.

O

NameImageRegion/PopularityDescription
OmbusombusBatakSticky rice with palm sugar filling, rolled in coconut flakes.
Onde-ondeNationwideGlutinous rice cake balls, filled with sweet green beans paste, and rolled in sesame seed and then fried.

P

NameImageRegion/PopularityDescription
Pai susuBaliA type of custard tart that consisting of an outer pastry crust filled with egg custard as well as condensed milk and baked.
Pastel de nataJakarta and Timor An egg tart pastry dusted with cinnamon, derived from Portuguese cuisine.
PoffertjesNationwideSimilar with kue cubit. This cake have a light and spongy texture.
Puding saguSumatra and Eastern IndonesiaA sweet pudding made by boiling sago with either water or milk and adding sugar and sometimes additional flavourings.
Putu mayangNationwide, but especially BetawiMade from starch or rice flour shaped like noodles, with a mixture of coconut milk, and served with kinca or liquid javanese sugar.

R

NameImageRegion/PopularityDescription
Roti bolenNationwideBaked pastry with crust layers similar to those of croissant, baked flour with butter or margarine layers, filled with cheese and banana. Other variants uses durian fillings. The cake demonstrate European pastry influences.
Roti buayaBetawiCrocodile-shaped bread commonly served during Betawi wedding and celebrations.
Roti gambang or roti ganjel relJakarta and Semarang, Central JavaA rectangular shaped brown bread with sesame seeds, flavored with cinnamon and palm sugar.[2] Usually served during Dugderan and Ramadhan.
Roti tisuMalayA thinner version of the traditional roti canai, as thin as a piece of 40–50 cm round-shaped tissue.

S

NameImageRegion/PopularityDescription
SerabiJavaRice pancake that is made from rice flour with coconut milk or shredded coconut as an emulsifier.
Seri mukaBanjarese and MalayA two-layered dessert with steamed glutinous rice forming the bottom half and a green custard layer made with pandan juice.
NationwideA thin, very crunchy, caramelized, and slightly browned cookie, derived from Dutch cuisine.
SpikuEast JavaA cake that has similar ingredient to lapis legit but only have three layers of plain and chocolate flavour layered cake.

T

NameImageRegion/PopularityDescription
TapaiNationwideA traditional fermented food of rice or other starchy foods. It has a sweet or sour taste.
Terang bulanNationwideOriginally a Chinese snack, but nowadays it is labelled as murtabak.
Terang bulan miniNationwideSmaller version of terang bulan.
TimphanAcehA steamed banana dumpling that consists of glutinous rice flour, ground banana and coconut milk. It is quite similar to Javanese or Buginese nagasari.
Ting-ting jaheNationwideA chewy ginger candy.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Akuzawa R, Surono IS. 2002. Fermented milks of Asia. In: Encyclopaedia of dairy science. London: Academic Press. p 1045–1048
  2. Web site: Roti Gambang dan Roti Ganjel Rel, Adakah Perbedaannya? Halaman all. Media. Kompas Cyber. KOMPAS.com. 19 October 2019 . id. 2020-05-02.
  3. http://www.campina.nl/onze-producten/vla.aspx Vla flavors of market leader Campina.