Soto has spread widely in Indonesia. This food can be found in every area in Indonesia and has various kinds of names such as Soto Banjar, Soto Lamongan, Soto Betawo, Soto Kudus, etc.
There are 72 kinds of soto in Indonesia. This number is very impressive, considering that each soto has a different taste and uniqueness. Therefore, the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy admitted soto as one of Indonesia’s National Foods. However, do you know the origin of soto itself? Swipe left to find the origin and facts about soto.
- Soto originally comes from China
In the 19th century, soto became a popular dish among Chinese people. The origin of Soto is from China and it’s called cau do in Hokkien dialect. Cau do that means spicy offal is created from pork meat and pork offal. Yet, Indonesia successfully turns this dish as it is now and presents uniqueness, taste, and culture in soto.
- Soto has diverse names
Besides its distinct taste, people named soto differently according to the region. In Java Island, people called it “soto” while people in Makassar called it “cotto”. “Sroto” is a name from Central Java.
Read also : Pempek Included in the Top Rated Seafood Dishes in the World by Taste Atlas
- Soto mixed foreign culinary in its production
Not only did people put Indonesian spices which highlighted Indonesian taste and uniqueness in the making of soto, but it also mixed the foreign ingredients such as rice noodles (Bihun) from China, turmeric from India, and ghee (butter from refined animal fat) from Arab.
In short, soto that we usually meet in our everyday life is a dish which deserves its popularity and appreciation whether as a national food or a cuisine that originally comes from another country and has been changed into our culture value.
