BAHASA INGGRIS
Disusun oleh:
Emeraldy
Ramadhan Evran (12215207)
FAKULTAS EKONOMI
UNIVERSITAS
GUNADARAMA
KOTA BEKASI
2015/2016
RENDANG
Rendang
is a spicy meat dish which originated from the Minangkabau ethnic group of
Indonesia and Malaysia, and is now commonly served across the country. One of
the characteristic foods of Indonesia and Malaysia culture, it is served at
ceremonial occasions and to honour guests. Rendang is also served among the
Ethnic Malay community in Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and Southern Philippines.
Rendang is traditionally prepared by the Minangkabau community during festive
occasions such as traditional ceremonies, wedding feasts and Hari Raya (Eid
al-Fitr). Culinary experts often describe rendang as: ‘Indonesia caramelised
beef curry’. In 2011 an online poll by 35,000 people held by CNN International
chose rendang as the number one dish of their ‘World's 50 Most Delicious Foods
(Readers' Pick)’ list.
A. COMPOSITION
AND COOKING METHOD
The
cooking technique flourished because of its role in preserving meat in a
tropical climate. Prior to refrigeration technology, this style of cooking
enabled preservation of the large amount of meat. Rendang is rich in spices.
Along with the main meat ingredient, rendang uses coconut milk (Minangkabau:
karambia) and a paste of mixed ground spices, which includes ginger, galangal,
turmeric leaves, lemongrass, garlic, shallot, chilli and other spices. This
spice mixture is called ‘pemasak’ in Minangkabau. The spices, garlic, shallot,
ginger and galangal used in rendang have antimicrobial properties and serve as
natural organic preservatives. If cooked properly, dry rendang can last for as
long as four weeks.
Traditionally
the term rendang in Minangkabau language does not refer to a certain type of dish.
The verb merendang actually refers to a cooking method of slow cooking;
continuously churning the ingredients in a pot or frying pan, on a small fire,
until all of the liquids evaporate and the meat is well done. Traditional
Padang rendang takes hours to cook. Cooking rendang involves pounding and
grinding ingredients as well as slow cooking, and so is time-consuming and
requires patience. The meat pieces are slowly cooked in coconut milk and spices
until almost all the liquid is gone, allowing the meat to absorb the
condiments. The cooking process changes from boiling to frying as the liquid
evaporates. The slow cooking process allows the meat to absorb all the spices
and become tender. To cook the meat until tender with almost all the liquid
evaporated requires great care, if the meat is not to be burnt or spoilt.
Because of its generous use of numerous spices, rendang is known for having a
complex and unique taste.
Rendang
is often served with steamed rice, ketupat (a compressed rice cake) or lemang (glutinous
rice cooked in bamboo tubes), accompanied with vegetable side dishes such as
boiled cassava leaf, cubadak (young jackfruit gulai), cabbage gulai and lado
(red or green chilli pepper sambal).
B. CULTURAL
SIGNIFICANCE
Rendang is revered in Minangkabau
culture as an embodiment of the philosophy of musyawarah, discussion and
consultation with elders. It has been claimed that the four main ingredients
represent Minangkabau society as a whole:
1.
The meat (dagiang) symbolises the Niniak Mamak, the traditional
clan leaders such as the datuk, the nobles, royalty and revered
elders.
2.
The coconut milk (karambia) symbolises the Cadiak Pandai,
intellectuals, teachers, poets and writers.
3.
The chilli (lado) symbolises the Alim Ulama, clerics, ulama and
religious leaders. The hotness of the chilli symbolises Sharia.
4.
The spice mixture (pemasak) symbolises the rest of Minangkabau
society.
In Minangkabau tradition, rendang is a requisite dish
for special occasions in traditional Minang ceremonies, from birth ceremonies
to circumcision, marriage, Qur'an recitals, and religious festivals such as Eid
al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.
C.
HISTORY
Rendang originates from the Sumatran Minangkabau
region. One of the earliest written records of rendang is from the early 16th century
Hikayat Amir Hamzah. The making of rendang spreads from Minangkabau region to
Mandailing, Riau, Jambi, across the strait to Malacca and Negeri Sembilan,
resulting in a variety of rendang traditions.
The popularity of rendang has spread widely from its
original domain because of the merantau (migrating) culture of Minangkabau
people. Overseas Minangkabau leave their home town to start a career in other
Indonesian cities as well as neighbouring countries, and Padang restaurants,
Minangkabau eating establishments that are ubiquitous in Indonesian cities,
spring up. These Padang restaurants have introduced and popularised rendang and
other Padang food dishes across Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and the wider
world.
Andalas University historian, Prof. Gusti Asnan
suggests that rendang began to spread across the region when Minangkabau
merchants and migrant workers began to trade and migrate to Malacca in the 16th
century. ‘Because the journey through the river waterways in Sumatra took much
time, a durable preserved dry rendang is suitable for long journey. The dried
Padang rendang is a durable food, good to consume for weeks, even when left at
room temperature.
D.
TYPES
In Minangkabau culinary tradition, there are three
recognised stages in cooking meat in spicy coconut milk. The dish which results
is categorised according to the liquid content of the cooked coconut milk,
which ranges from the most wet and soupy to the most dry: Gulai — Kalio —
Rendang. The ingredients of gulai, kalio and rendang are almost identical with
the exceptions that gulai usually has less red chilli pepper and more turmeric,
while rendang has richer spices.
If pieces of meat are cooked in spicy coconut milk and
the process stopped right when the meat is done and the coconut milk has
reached its boiling point, the dish is called ‘gulai’. If the process continues
until the coconut milk is partly evaporated and the meat has started to brown,
the dish is called ‘kalio’. For a traditional dry rendang, the process
continues hours beyond this, until the liquid has all but completely evaporated
and the colour turns to a dark brown, almost black colour. Thus not only liquid
content but also colour indicate which type of rendang is involved: gulai is
light yellow, kalio is brown and rendang is very dark brown. Today, one mostly
finds only two simpler categories of rendang: either dry or wet.
1. DRIED RENDANG
According to Minangkabau tradition, their true rendang
is the dry one. Rendang is diligently stirred, attended and cooked for hours
until the coconut milk evaporated and the meat absorbed the spices. It is still
served for special ceremonial occasions or to honour guests. If cooked
properly, dried rendang can last for three to four weeks stored in room
temperature and still good to consume. It can even last months stored in a
refrigerator, and up to six months if frozen.
2. WET RENDANG OR KALIO
Wet rendang, more accurately identified as ‘kalio’, is
a type of rendang that is cooked for a shorter period of time and much of the
coconut milk liquid has not evaporated. If stored at room temperature, kalio
lasts less than a week. Kalio usually has a light golden brown colour, paler
than dry rendang.
Outside of its native land in Minangkabau, rendang is
also known in neighbouring countries such as Malaysia, Singapore and the
Philippines. Most Malaysian rendang is more like kalio, lighter in colour and
taste when compared with its Minangkabau counterpart. Malaysian rendang has
several variants, such as Kelantan rendang and Negeri Sembilan rendang.
Malaysian styles of rendang are typically cooked for shorter periods, and use
kerisik (toasted grated coconut) to thicken the spice, instead of stirring over
a low heat for many hours to evaporate the coconut milk as Indonesian rendang
requires. Nonetheless, in Malaysia the rendang Tok variant, found in the state
of Perak, is a dry one.
Other ethnic groups in Indonesia also have adopted a
version of rendang into their daily diet. For example, in Java, other than
Padang rendang sold in Padang restaurants, the Javanese cooked a wet rendang,
slightly sweeter and less spicy to accommodate Javanese tastes. Through
colonial ties the Dutch are also familiar with rendang and often serve the wet
kalio version in the Netherlands — usually as part of a rijsttafel.
