Who doesn’t love pempek? From the classic submarine and lenjer to kulit, adaan, pistel, and even the grilled lenggang it’s no wonder this dish has fans all over Indonesia.
Hold your horses.
Where is Palembang? Well, Palembang is a city in South Sumatra, Indonesia, and it’s one of the oldest cities in Southeast Asia. It sits along the Musi River and is famous for its iconic Ampera Bridge and, of course, its delicious local food pempek! If your friends love trying new dishes and exploring local cultures, Palembang is a fun place to discover.
A few days ago, I stopped by a small, simple shop and treated myself to some delicious Pempek Palembang. Even though it originally comes from Palembang, pempek made from processed mackerel fish has definitely become a favorite snack all around the country.
What makes pempek even more mouthwatering is the cuko sauce. It’s that special mix of tamarind, ebi (dried shrimp), garlic, and spicy cayenne pepper that gives it that bold, tangy kick. If you love spicy and sour flavors, you’ll totally get what I mean!
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| I took this photo just before enjoying them as a quick bite or street snack, not as a full meal. It's recommended to eat a proper meal first before digging into this kind of food |
Now here’s the fun part not everyone knows there’s actually a proper way to eat pempek, especially according to the people of Palembang.
There are many kinds of pempek: the famous submarine (with egg inside), pempek lenjer (long and chewy), kulit (made from fish skin), adaan (round ones), tahu (with tofu), and of course, pempek lenggang, which is grilled with duck egg. Most of them are fried before serving except for a few that are grilled or steamed
But no, they don’t eat it every single day. Just like in other places, people in Palembang eat a variety of foods like rice, fish curry (pindang), soto, nasi goreng, and more. Imagine living in Italy people there don’t eat pizza or pasta every single day, even though it’s what they’re famous for. So in short: Palembang people love pempek, but they don’t live on it 24/7.
It’s a proud local dish always there, but not necessarily on today’s lunch menu 😊 Would you like to add this point into your blog post in a casual tone? I can help rewrite a paragraph for it. .
So how do most people eat pempek? Usually, they cut it into pieces, add cucumber slices on top, and pour cuko all over it. Sounds good, right?
But Palembang folks say, “Hold up, that’s not the real way!”
According to them, cuko should be served separately, not poured on the pempek. You’re supposed to dip each piece into the cuko, just like dipping fries into ketchup. And here's the interesting part they actually sip the cuko straight from the bowl or bottle, like drinking hot tea or coffee. Yep, that's the real deal
They believe this way makes the flavor even richer and more satisfying. And honestly? After trying it, I kinda agree So next time you’re about to enjoy some pempek, try it the Palembang way. Dip it, sip the cuko, and taste the magic. Trust me it hits different
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