Pecel and the History of Nusantara Cuisine :
The Story of Acculturation in the Cultural Archipelago Named Indonesia
Tauhid Nur Azhar
This afternoon, I saw a post in the FK alumni group, a friend uploaded a photo of Tuyuhan rice cake. Based on its name, this rice cake indeed originates from Tuyuhan village, Pancur sub-district, Rembang district.Not only is the shape of the rice cake unique, but there is also a historical and heroic story that colors the presence of this Tuyuhan rice cake. Tuyuhan rice cake is different because it is triangular in shape and is equipped with 3 bites to tie the banana leaf wrapper. When served, this rice cake is doused with spicy opor sauce with village chicken meat filling. The combination of coconut milk, spices, chili, and chicken meat with fragrant and soft rice cake is indeed very tempting and appetizing. But not only about its deliciousness, Tuyuhan rice cake apparently has historical value that can be a source of inspiration for the current generation. This rice cake was originally a manakib dish served by the great Rembang cleric, Mbah Jumali, to his students. When the Lasem war broke out in 1734, when the Dutch wanted to control the Lasem and Rembang regions, this Tuyuhan rice cake became part of the resistance strategy. In addition to being a manaqib student food, Mbah Jumali used Tuyuhan rice cake traders who used pikulan as a code or intel that informed various enemy movements.Until today, Tuyuhan rice cake is still served with a three-bite banana wrap and is triangular in shape. The taste remains authentic, and is typical of the Rembang area which is teak forested and chalky. Its curry dares to appear stinging, expressive, and at the same time does not hesitate in terms of the savory that is mlekoh-mlekoh, also still uses village chicken, which although the meat is a little tougher and chewy, but there is a unique taste sensation that might come from the diversity of natural feed and geological characteristics of its habitat, which also colors its taste.
Meanwhile, manaqib or manaqiban in the tradition of students in the archipelago, quoting the book Hujjah Amaliyah Ahlusunnah Waljama’ah by Muhammad Ropi’i (2022), means to investigate and excavate. In terms of terminology, manaqib is defined as studying the life story of a person who tells about his praiseworthy akhak and should be used as an example and lesson for all of us.The photo of Tuyuhan rice cake in the FK group is really tempting, until my mind floats far beyond the clouds, and the memory seems to be flown away. Without realizing it, suddenly it feels like I’m already in front of Madiun station. Where Madiun, in addition to being known as a railway city, due to the long history of the railway office since colonial times to the existence of PT INKA, the pride of all of us, the railway manufacturer, is also known as the capital of pecel in Indonesia.
Why is that? Of course, it is due to the fact that for people from Madiun, whenever and wherever, one of their main food choices is pecel (a traditional Javanese salad, consisting of mixed vegetables in a peanut sauce dressing). Even some of my relatives from Madiun are willing to testify that there is almost no pecel that doesn’t taste good in all of Madiun. Starting from the pecel pincuk (pecel served in banana leaf) vendors who carry their wares, to legendary pecel stalls like Pojok and Yu Gembrot, all serve exceptional pecel.The specialty of Madiun pecel is, of course, in its peanut sauce.
The combination of peanuts, spices, and brown sugar in special proportions that seem to have become part of the genetic abilities of its residents, blends harmoniously with the various vegetables that are its main menu. Uniquely, Madiun pecel often provides Turi flowers that have a distinctive and refreshing taste. Not to forget, if in a large enough stall, there are various tempting side dishes available. As a result, I am usually captivated and then dare to brush off pieces of offal like brains, tongue, and sometimes there are iso, empal, and tripe. Indeed, when the fresh vegetables and pecel sauce blend with warm rice and delicious fried flour brains in a banana leaf pincuk that gives a special sensation and aroma, it can be guessed, all of it will end at the culmination point of pleasure.Pecel sauce and peanuts are indeed inseparable, like the essentiality of lotek, gado-gado, tipat cantok, and karedok sauces that require the presence of peanuts as a main ingredient in the sauce that is very important in constructing taste identity until a food can be identified as pecel, lotek, gado-gado, tipat cantok, or karedok. Yes, peanuts. Where peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L) are cultivated members of the Leguminosae family, and are a type of legume that is an important food commodity in Indonesia. The peanut plant originates from the American continent, can grow in the form of a shrub as high as 30 to 50 cm, with small compound leaves.This plant originally comes from South America, specifically Brazil, but now it has spread throughout the world with tropical or subtropical climates.
The introduction of peanuts to Indonesia in the 17th century is believed to have been brought by Spanish, Chinese, or Portuguese traders who were actively sailing around the world at that time, including the route from South America, through the Strait of Magellan, to Maluku. The entry of peanuts into Maluku is estimated to have started after 1597, in line with the spirit of exploration to the Indies pioneered by Columbus, Vasco da Gama, and Magellan.In 1863, Holle introduced peanuts from England and in 1864, Scheffer also introduced peanuts from Egypt, the People’s Republic of China, and India.
As a result, with the almost limitless culinary creativity of the archipelago, peanuts, which are rich in fat, protein, iron, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin E, B complex vitamins, vitamins A and K, and lecithin, quickly became part of the effort to enrich the treasury of flavors of various archipelago dishes. Even Ary Budiyanto, an anthropologist from Brawijaya University in Malang, once wrote a book titled “Katjang Tjina in Archipelago Cuisine” which thoroughly discusses the history of the introduction of peanuts into Indonesian culinary literature.Reflecting on the various information above, we seem to get a picture of the spectrum of influences that color the archipelago’s cuisine, don’t we? What is native Indonesian food? Because it turns out we gain a lot of food ingredient insights from a process of exchanging wisdom which is essentially a marker of the navigation system of human origins.Perhaps rice, which comes from paddy, is the oldest energy source for the archipelago nation, besides Sago which is also an endemic plant in the equator.Robert Cribb and Audrey Kahin in their book “Historical Dictionary of Indonesia” state that the paddy plant, or scientifically named Oryza sativa, grows wild naturally on the mainland of Southeast Asia.
This plant is estimated to have been cultivated since 6000 BC.Robert and Audrey Kahin estimate that rice entered the archipelago long after that period. However, the oldest cultivation was found in Ulu Leang in Sulawesi around 3500 BC, contemporaneous with the peak of ancient Egypt’s glory. Where ancient Egyptian civilization developed in the northeastern part of the African continent, centered in the lower Nile region. Precisely in the area that is now the territory of the state of Egypt. This civilization began with the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt around 3150 BC, and subsequently developed for approximately three millennia.
At that time, the agrarian Indonesian nation, in line with the agrarian Egyptian nation that began to cultivate crops in the Nile delta, began to know about rice fields, paddy, rice, and rice.Meanwhile, today we also often promote local culinary culture with low glycemic, high fiber carbohydrate sources, which can provide good health impacts. Where the glycemic index is grouped into; <55 → low, 56–69 → medium, and >70 → high.
One alternative carbohydrate source is cassava or Manihot Esculenta. It turns out that cassava is a native plant of Brazil and archaeological evidence of cassava cultivation is mostly found in the Mayan Indian culture, precisely in Mexico and El Salvador.Although it cannot be denied that cassava, quoted from Haryono Rinardi in the book “Colonial Era Cassava Politics” (2002), entered Indonesia brought by the Portuguese expedition to Maluku around the 16th century, it has spread to various corners of the archipelago, has also been cultivated (because it is suitable with the climate and soil conditions in the archipelago), and processed into various energy source consumption menus such as Tiwul, Gatot, or Gaplek, also Tapioca flour has become an inseparable part of the Indonesian culinary treasury.Even a mass cassava cultivation program was initiated by the Dutch colonial government since 1810. Likewise, sugar, coffee, tea, and quinine which in turn also affect the health status of the general archipelago community.
Long before the era where connectivity and transportation technology support developed rapidly as it is today, it turns out that the archipelago has become an equatorial emerald that has become so full of charm that attracts various nations to participate in tasting its gentleness, beauty, and natural wealth.Not only that, but various interaction processes occurred, which among other things introduced various introduction species, gene mixing, acculturation of various incoming cultures, and the birth of new wisdoms along with the increasing number of cultural values that synthesized in dialectical synthesis that accommodated functions and various advantages that resulted in mutual benefit. Mutualistic symbiosis, and survival degree are the main motives.Before peanuts, cassava, or wheat came and dominated our culinary culture with flour products such as bread and noodles, our culinary history recorded various types of cooking methods and food ingredients that represented the endemic conditions at that time.
Food ingredients that describe biological diversity in the human habitat of the archipelago at that time. Likewise, the way of cooking, which was born from the demands of needs and the suitability of conditions with the situation.So in the past, pecel was not vegetables or chicken meat doused with peanut sauce as we have believed all this time. Because peanuts have not entered the archipelago. But don’t get me wrong, even though there are no peanuts, at that time we had culinary wealth like various types of spices, coconut milk, and various sources of protein such as vegetables, fish, and meat of various types.
Returning to the archipelago’s pecel, it turns out that the history of pecel is indeed very long and colorful. Even in the Babad Tanah Jawi, there is a special story about this pecel. In the Babad, it is told that Ki Gede Pemanahan, the main figure in the establishment of Islamic Mataram, who was wandering, rested in Taji Village. In the village, the village leader, Ki Ageng Karang Lo, prepared a feast for Ki Gede Pemanahan in the form of pecel rice, chicken meat, and menir vegetables or spinach. So delicious was the dish served by Ki Ageng Karang Lo, Ki Gede Pemanahan became very curious about the food he had eaten. “Dimas, what is the name of the delicious dish earlier?” More or less that was his question to the Taji village figure who was the host.Ki Ageng Karang Lo answered, “Puniko ron ingkang dipun pecel”.
Literally meaning leaves that are boiled and squeezed for their water.Meanwhile, from the literature research results of culinary observer Wira Hardiyansyah, there are several developments of pecel based on his study findings. Pecel is mentioned in the Kakawin Ramayana written in the 9th century of the Ancient Mataram or Hindu Mataram era. At that time it was under King Rakai Watukura Dyah Balitung (898–930 AD).Pecel is also written in the Siman Inscription from Kediri written in 943 AD. Where in the inscription it is mentioned food made from boiled leaf vegetables and specially processed with spices.
Meanwhile, if referring to the early version of Babad Tanah Jawi, which was composed in the 17th century, the description of the snack served by Ki Gede Karanglo when hosting Ki Gede Pemanahan is as follows: sekul golong, pecel pitik, and jangan menir. (Jaya Subrata, 1923).Where the third version of the typical food of Central Java at that time can also be seen in the book Pustakaraja Purwa by Ranggawarsita in 1869 in the padmasusastra version which among others reads as follows;He biyung Samba, sira olah-olaha kang anuwuhake segering sariraningsun, iya iku kang ingarasanan sego golong, pecel pitik, lan jangan menir. Sega golong iku sega sawuse diengi adhem, nuli ulig-uligan samaja-maja gedhene.
Pecel pitik iku, panggang pitik iwake sira cuwilana, banjur sira cemplungena, ing sambel, kang nganggo bumbu bawang kencur sarta kang dokoki duduh santen. Jangan menir iku bayem utawa gegodhongan liyane kinela, duduhe banyu tawa ora nganggo santen, bumbune brambang, kunci, gula, uyah.
Meanwhile, the term pecel which is also related to chicken, is also found in an old Sundanese manuscript titled Sanghyang Swawar Cinta, where there is a cut of several chicken criteria and a special way of cooking it.Hayam bwadas ta di padamara, hayam beureum disarengseng, hayam cangkes diketrik, hayam hurik dipais bari, hayam danten dipepecel, hayam bikang dipapanggang
In the Pustakaraja Purwa book, which describes a dialogue between Dewi Sri and Biyung Samba, “nasi golong” is rice that has been left overnight and then shaped into a ball the size of a fist the next day. This is similar to the Japanese culinary tradition of onigiri, which also originates from the tradition of eating rice as a primary source of energy for daily activities.
”Pecel pitik” or chicken pecel is chicken that is grilled, then shredded and mixed with a sambal sauce made from onions, kencur (a type of ginger), and coconut milk. Today, similar dishes can still be found in Lombok and Sumbawa in the form of Sasak chicken and Plecing chicken, and in the form that is not shredded is Taliwang chicken.”Jangan Menir” or spinach soup, is similar to the clear soup we know today. Its seasoning is simple and consists of shallots, kunci (a type of ginger), salt, and sugar, without coconut milk.In the Sundanese terminology recorded in the Sanghyang Swawar Cinta book, rewritten in the 16th century, it explains the correct way to cook several types of chicken.
Female chickens are best grilled, and young adult chickens, also known as pullets, are suitable for pecel.Thus, the understanding of pecel from the Indonesian culinary tradition is actually a sambal sauce with a creamy coconut milk broth.
But of course, all the processes of adaptation, assimilation, and acculturation that occur are part of the inevitability that makes the Archipelago, and in turn Indonesia, a great nation constructed by cultural diversity, potential, and resources.Food, food ingredients, spices, as well as the way of cooking and serving, and the process of consuming and enjoying it, are certainly a fundamental platform for studying and building the quality of the nation and its people, because food is a divine destiny that is outlined to have a significant influence on the dynamics of human life.
“You are what you eat,” is a wise saying we often hear, encouraging us to choose and prepare our food wisely. Thus, learning from the long history of pecel, we hope to see and learn about the diversity of resources and the intelligence of how to optimize their benefits for our harmony. Let’s explore the various potentials that have been a divine gift for all the citizens of this country, let’s develop them and together make them a capital to build the future.
