Dendeng is thinly sliced dried meat in Minangkabau cuisine. It is preserved through a mixture of sugar and and dried via a frying process. It is similar to jerky. Dendeng is traditionally produced by using some spices and sugar at various levels. Therefore, its flavour is sweet and spicy. It is also stable for several weeks at room temperature.
History
The creation of
dendeng is commonly credited to the Minangkabau people, in which their earliest
dendeng was made from dried beef, so that it would be preserved for days and could be taken along with them when they traveled. The
Padang cuisine version—probably the most popular
dendeng dish in
Indonesia—is called
dendeng balado or
dendeng batokok. It is a specialty from Padang, West Sumatra and is made from thinly cut
beef which is dried and fried before adding
chili pepper and other ingredients.
Variations
The most common version of
dendeng found in Indonesia is
dendeng sapi (beef
dendeng), and it usually has a sweetness from the inclusion of caramelized coconut sugar. However, versions made from other exotic meats are also available, especially in Eastern Indonesia.
Dendeng rusa (deer
dendeng) can be found in the
Nusa Tenggara islands and Papua.
Indonesian Chinese favor the similar dried pork dish known as
bakkwa.
Cocos Malays have been observed preserving many types of fish like Caranx and this way, a similar method is found among the Filipinos called daing.
See also