Gado-gado

{{short description|Indonesian salad dish}} {{for-multi|the restaurant in the US|Gado Gado (restaurant)|the Polish instant messaging service|Gadu-Gadu}} {{more citations needed|date=May 2015}} {{Infobox food | name = ''Gado-gado'' | image = Gado gado jakarta.jpg | image_size = 250px | caption = Gado gado is vegetables mixed with peanut sauce | country = Indonesia<ref name="Balidaily">{{cite news|title='Gado-gado' Ayu Minantri |date=5 December 2013 |author=Luh De Suriyani |url=http://www.thebalidaily.com/2013-12-05/gado-gado-ayu-minantri.html |newspaper=Bali Daily |access-date=12 May 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150615015458/http://www.thebalidaily.com/2013-12-05/gado-gado-ayu-minantri.html |archive-date=15 June 2015 }}</ref> | region = Jakarta<ref name="Gado gado">{{Cite web|url= https://www.idntimes.com/food/dining-guide/maria-liana/fakta-gado-gado-kuliner-khas-betawi-exp-c1c2 |title= fakta gado gado kuliner khas betawi}} (Indonesian)</ref> | creator = | national_cuisine = Indonesia | course = Main course | served = Room temperature | main_ingredient = Various vegetables in peanut sauce topped with krupuk | variations = ''Karedok'', a raw vegetable version of ''Gado-gado'' | calories = | other = }} {{Cuisine of Indonesia}} '''''Gado-gado''''' (Indonesian or Betawi) is an Indonesian salad<ref name="Balidaily">{{cite news|title='Gado-gado' Ayu Minantri |date=5 December 2013 |author=Luh De Suriyani |url=http://www.thebalidaily.com/2013-12-05/gado-gado-ayu-minantri.html |newspaper=Bali Daily |access-date=12 May 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150615015458/http://www.thebalidaily.com/2013-12-05/gado-gado-ayu-minantri.html |archive-date=15 June 2015 }}</ref> of raw, slightly boiled, blanched or steamed vegetables and hard-boiled eggs, boiled potato, fried tofu and tempeh, and sliced ''lontong'' (compressed cylinder rice cake wrapped in a banana leaf),<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sunny |date=2022-09-11 |title=Lontong Recipe: How to Make Authentic Lontong at Home |url=https://www.lokataste.com/authentic-lontong/ |access-date=2024-04-27 |website=LOKATASTE.COM |language=en-US}}</ref> served with a peanut sauce dressing.<ref>{{cite web|title=gado-gado|url=http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/gado-gado|publisher=Dictionary.com}}</ref><ref name="Balidaily"/><ref>No Money, No Honey: A study of street traders and prostitutes in Jakarta by Alison Murray. Oxford University Press, 1992. Glossary page xii</ref>

In 2018, ''gado-gado'' was promoted as one of five national dishes of Indonesia; the others are soto, sate, nasi goreng, and rendang.<ref name="Kompas.com-Makanan-Nasional">{{Cite news|url=https://travel.kompas.com/read/2018/04/10/171000627/kemenpar-tetapkan-5-makanan-nasional-indonesia-ini-daftarnya|title=Kemenpar Tetapkan 5 Makanan Nasional Indonesia, Ini Daftarnya - Kompas.com|last=Media|first=Kompas Cyber|work=KOMPAS.com|access-date=2018-04-18|language=id}}</ref>

==Etymology== The term ''gado'' or the verb ''menggado'' means to consume something without rice. In Indonesian Betawi, ''digado'' or ''menggado''<ref>{{cite web | url=https://id.wiktionary.org/wiki/menggado | title=Menggado | date=19 July 2012 }}</ref> means to eat a certain dish (be it fish, meat, chicken, etc.) without rice. ''Gado-gado'' is made up of a rich mixture of vegetables, including potatoes, longbeans, bean sprouts, spinach, chayote, bitter gourd, corn and cabbage, along with tofu, tempeh, and hard-boiled eggs. They are all mixed in peanut sauce dressing, sometimes also topped with ''krupuk'' and sprinkles of fried shallots. ''Gado-gado'' is different from Sundanese ''lotek atah'' or ''karedok'' as the latter uses only raw vegetables. Another similar dish is the Javanese ''pecel''.

==Region== ''Gado-gado'' is widely sold in almost every part of Indonesia, each with its own regional variations.<ref name="Balidaily"/> It is thought to have originally been a Sundanese dish, as it is most prevalent in Western parts of Java (which includes Jakarta, Banten, and West Java provinces). The Javanese have their own slightly similar version of a vegetables-in-peanut-sauce dish called ''pecel'' which is more prevalent in Central and East Java. ''Gado-gado'' is widely available at hawkers' carts, stalls (''warung'') and restaurants and hotels throughout Indonesia; it is also served in Indonesian-style restaurants worldwide. Although it is customarily called a salad, the peanut sauce is a larger component of ''gado-gado'' than is usual for the dressings in Western-style salads; the vegetables should be well-coated with it.

Some eating establishments use different mixtures of peanut sauce or add other ingredients for taste, such as cashew nuts. In Jakarta, several eating establishments boast ''gado-gado'' as their signature dish, some of which have been in business for decades and have developed faithful clientele. For example, Gado-Gado Boplo restaurant chain has been around since 1970,<ref>{{cite web |title =Gado-Gado Boplo |url =http://www.boplo.net/profile.html |language =id |access-date =12 May 2015 |archive-date =9 April 2015 |archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20150409073730/http://boplo.net/profile.html |url-status =dead }}</ref> while Gado-Gado Bonbin in Cikini has been around since 1960.<ref>{{cite web|title =Enjoying Jakarta through culinary nostalgia | author =Triwik Kurniasari and Maulina Sartika Pravitasari | date =15 August 2008 | url =http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2008/08/15/enjoying-jakarta-through-culinary-nostalgia.html |access-date =12 May 2015}}</ref>

The peanut sauce is made of ground fried peanuts, sweet palm sugar, garlic, chillies, salt, tamarind, and a squeeze of lime.<ref name="Balidaily"/> ''Gado-gado'' is generally freshly made, sometimes in front of the customers to suit their preferred degree of spiciness, which corresponds to the amount of chili pepper included. However, particularly in the West, ''gado-gado'' sauce is often prepared ahead of time and in bulk. ''Gado-gado'' sauce is also available in dried form, which is simply rehydrated by adding hot water.

''Gado-gado'' sauce is not to be confused with satay sauce, which is also a peanut sauce.

== History == The history of this Indonesian culinary dish does not have a fixed historical background. Rather, there are several different theories and beliefs as to how ''gado-gado'' became an Indonesian culinary dish. The different theories and beliefs are written below:

=== Indonesian word ''"digado"'' === Gado-gado comes from the Indonesian word ''"digado''". However, the word ''"digado''" does not exist in the Indonesian dictionary. The word ''"digado''" originates from a specific Indonesian culture, Java. In the Betawi language, the word means “to not be eaten with rice”, which is why rice is not included as one of the key ingredients of ''gado-gado''. Rather, a substitute of rice is used, which is known as ''lontong'', otherwise known as Indonesian rice cake.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Story|first=Ayana|date=20 June 2019|title=Fakta Gado-gado, Kuliner Khas Betawi dengan Asal Usul yang Misterius|url=https://www.idntimes.com/food/dining-guide/maria-liana/fakta-gado-gado-kuliner-khas-betawi-exp-c1c2/5|access-date=27 November 2020|website=idntimes}}</ref>

=== Tugu village === Another theory is that ''gado-gado'' originated from the Tugu village. In the early 1700s, when the Europeans arrived in Indonesia, a number of Portuguese people started a village currently known as the Tugu village. It is said that these Portuguese people brought their local cuisine to Indonesia. Through the introduction of the Portuguese culture, the dish ''gado-gado'' was first introduced to Indonesia.<ref name=":0" />

=== Chinese origin === Some claim that ''gado-gado'' originated from the Chinese people living in Betawi. Some claim that the Chinese people really enjoyed the Javanese ''pecel'', which is an Indonesian salad, and wanted to modify the dish to better accommodate their taste. As a result, the dish ''gado-gado'' was created.<ref name=":0" />

== Variations == === ''Gado-gado Betawi'' === This variation of ''gado-gado'' originates from Betawi in Jakarta and is known for being prepared differently as compared to the other variations.<ref name=":1" /> Based on a recipe book "Resep Gado-Gado Betawi" by Sasongko Iswandaru [https://www.kompas.com/food/read/2022/06/17/210400175/resep-gado-gado-betawi-lengkap-dengan-bumbu-kacang?page=all], the dish consists of boiled vegetables, including long bean, bean sprout and cabbage, mixed with fried tofu, tempeh and boiled egg, served with peanut sauce.

=== ''Gado-gado Padang'' === Unlike ''gado-gado sederhana'', ''gado-gado'' Padang adds yellow noodles and ''sohun'', which are cellophane noodles, to the ''gado-gado'' dish.<ref name=":1" /> This variation of ''gado-gado'' originated from Padang in West Sumatra.<ref name=":1" /> It is also known to have a spicy flavor.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|last=Alva|first=Apriani|date=20 December 2016|title=Kuliner Nusantara - Ini 5 Macam Gado-gado dari Penjuru Indonesia, Pernah Coba Nomor 5?|url=https://travel.tribunnews.com/2016/12/20/kuliner-nusantara-ini-5-macam-gado-gado-dari-penjuru-indonesia-pernah-coba-nomor-5|access-date=27 November 2020|website=tribunnews}}</ref> This variation follows other common dishes in Padang, which are known for having a spicy flavor.<ref name=":2" />

=== ''Gado-gado Sederhana'' === A translation of “''gado-gado sederhana''” is “simple ''gado-gado''”. This variation is the basic way of preparing a ''gado-gado'' dish, which is made using vegetables, bean sprouts, ''lontong'' and peanut sauce as key ingredients.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Shidqiyyah|first=Septika|date=17 November 2018|title=4 Cara Membuat Gado Gado, dari yang Sederhana, Gado Gado Betawi, Gado Gado Padang hingga Surabaya|url=https://www.liputan6.com/lifestyle/read/3693869/4-cara-membuat-gado-gado-dari-yang-sederhana-gado-gado-betawi-gado-gado-padang-hingga-surabaya#:~:text=Liputan6.com%2C%20Jakarta%20Gado%20gado,%2C%20bayam%2C%20dan%20lain%20sebagainya|access-date=27 November 2020|website=liputan6}}</ref>

=== ''Gado-gado Sidoarjo'' === This variation of ''gado-gado'' originated from Sidoarjo and is created using an addition of ''petis'', which is a food additive added to the peanut sauce.<ref name=":2" />

=== ''Gado-gado Surabaya'' === This variation of ''gado-gado'' cooks the peanut sauce and spreads it over the dish.<ref name=":1" /> Some claim that cooking the peanut sauce makes the dish last longer.<ref name=":1" /> It uses lettuce and tomatoes as some of the ingredients of the dish.<ref name=":2" /> It also uses coconut milk in the peanut sauce, for flavor and to make the sauce look oilier.<ref name=":2" />

== Ingredients ==

=== Peanut dressing === thumb|right|Gado-gado stall displaying ingredients of the dish. Most of the flavours in ''gado-gado'' are acquired from the mixture of its ''bumbu kacang'' or peanut salad dressing. ''Gado-gado'' combines slightly sweet, spicy and savory tastes.<ref name="Balidaily"/> The common primary ingredients of the peanut sauce are as follows:

* ground fried peanuts (kidney beans may be substituted for a richer taste) * coconut sugar/palm sugar (substitute brown sugar if unavailable) * chillies (according to preference and desired degree of spiciness) * ''terasi'' (dried ''shrimp paste'') * salt * tamarind juice * lime juice * water to dilute

The traditional method of making ''gado-gado'' is to use the ''cobek'' (pestle) and ''ulekan'' or flat, rounded stone. The dry ingredients are ground first, then the tamarind liquids are added to achieve the desired consistency.

=== Vegetables === thumb|right|A traditional Indonesian way of making ''gado-gado''. The composition of the vegetable salad varies greatly, but usually comprises a mixture of some of the following: * blanched - shredded, chopped, or sliced green vegetables such as cabbage, kangkung, spinach, bean sprouts, boiled young jackfruit, chayote, string bean, green bean, bitter melon, and corn. * sliced - boiled potatoes * uncooked - sliced cucumber, tomato, and lettuce. * peeled and sliced boiled eggs * sliced - fried tofu and tempeh Outside Indonesia, it is usual to improvise with whatever vegetables are available. All the ingredients are blanched or lightly boiled, including vegetables, potatoes and bean sprouts, except for the tempeh and tofu, which are fried, and the cucumber, which is sliced and served fresh.<ref name="Balidaily"/> The blanched vegetables and other ingredients are mixed well with the dressing.

=== Garnishes and rice=== In Indonesia ''gado-gado'' is commonly served mixed with chopped ''lontong'' or ''ketupat'' (glutinous rice cake), or with steamed rice served separately. It is nearly always served with ''krupuk'', tapioca crackers, or ''emping'', Indonesian-style fried crackers made from ''melinjo''. A common garnish is ''bawang goreng'', a sprinkle of finely-chopped fried shallot.<ref name="Balidaily"/>

== Serving == There are three common ways of serving the ''gado-gado'' dish in Indonesia. Firstly, ''gado-gado'' is sometimes prepared at home as a traditional Indonesian dish. It is relatively easy to prepare and cook, which is part of the reason why ''gado-gado'' can be commonly found in Indonesian households. Secondly, some street vendors and ''warungs'' in Indonesia are known to sell ''gado-gado''. However, different cities may serve different variations of ''gado-gado'' depending on the region. Thirdly, ''gado-gado'' can also be found in restaurants that serve Indonesian cuisine. Amongst many Indonesian restaurants, ''gado-gado'' is a relatively common dish, because it is popular in Indonesia.

==See also== {{Portal|Food|Indonesia}} {{div col|colwidth=30em}} * ''Ketoprak Jakarta'' * ''Lawar'' * ''Urap'' * ''Kuluban'' {{div col end}}

==References== {{commons category}} {{Reflist}}

{{Indonesian cuisine}} {{Salads}}

Category:Indonesian salads Category:National dishes Category:Vegetable dishes Category:Vegetarian dishes of Indonesia Category:Street food in Indonesia Category:Chayote dishes Category:Egg dishes Category:Potato dishes Category:Rice dishes Category:Spinach dishes Category:Maize dishes Category:Cabbage dishes Category:Bitter melon dishes