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Indonesian Cuisine

Pempek

From South Sumatra

Palembang's springy fish cake served in *cuko*, a dark, sweet-sour-spicy palm-sugar sauce.

fish-basedstreet-foodheritagepalembangsour-sweet

Key ingredients

  • •Ikan tenggiri
  • •Tepung sagu
  • •Telur
  • •Bawang putih
  • •Garam
  • •Cuko: gula aren, asam jawa, cabai, bawang putih, ebi

Origin

Pempek originated in Palembang via Chinese culinary influence around the 16th century. "Pek" is thought to come from empek, an honorific for older Chinese men who once peddled it. The Musi River's abundance of mackerel made it a city signature.

Flavor Profile

The cake is dense and springy, a mix of fish and sago starch. The magic is in the cuko: a dark sauce of palm sugar, tamarind, chili, and garlic that hits sour, sweet, and spicy at once.

How It's Served

In many shapes: kapal selam (egg-stuffed), long lenjer, adaan balls, pistel with papaya filling. Always with cuko, yellow noodles, and cucumber.

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