The most popular dish in the Indonesian city of Yogyakarta is called gudeg, a unique dish made by cooking raw jackfruit with coconut milk. The two most common variations are dry and wet gudeg. Both varieties use the same ingredients, but dry gudeg uses less coconut milk, cooks longer, and has a thicker gravy. For tourists visiting Yogyakarta, gudeg is one of the main culinary destinations that cannot be ignored.
Gudeg has a long history. This type of food even existed before the Yogyakarta Kingdom was established. It is said that the gudeg recipe was invented during the time of Panembahan Senopati (1587-1601), the founder of the Islamic Mataram Sultanate who was also the grandfather of Sultan Agung. When he wanted to establish the Islamic Mataram Sultanate, Panembahan Senopati had to clear the wilderness in a location known as Alas Mentaok. Unexpectedly, in the forest, many jackfruits and coconut trees were found.
The soldiers and workers who cleared the forest then made use of raw jackfruit and coconut by cooking them into a delicious dish. Due to a large number of soldiers and workers, the dish also had to be cooked in large quantities. Raw jackfruit and coconut milk are cooked in a large skillet. The stirrer is also big, like the oars of a boat.
Raw jackfruit and coconut milk are added with palm sugar, various herbs and spices, then stirred using a large spoon. To mix well, stir the food with a large spoon in the skillet. Thus, the term "hangudeg" was born which means "stirring in a circle with a spoon in a container" so that the food is finally known as gudeg.
Initially this culinary was only popular among royal soldiers, but over time it became known to many people because of its easy-to-find ingredients and delicious taste. From the 1970s to the 1980s, on the initiative of Sultan Hamengku Buwono IX, the Yogyakarta Regional Government began to promote the gudeg area on Jalan Wijilan. This is where we can find the legendary gudeg seller Yu Djoem.
Now, wherever you are, you can find gudeg Jogja with various flavors. There are original wet gudeg and dry gudeg. Both can be ordered with a taste of very sweet, medium sweet, spicy-sweet, and so on. This culinary has never died since it was discovered.
