As a child raised in Betawi environment, I am very familiar with this one food. I’m sure the Indonesian people are already very familiar with this delicious healthy food.
Some say, gado-gado is salad version of Indonesia. If the western cuisine salad doused with thousand island or mayonaise. In Indonesia, the salad is mixed with peanut sauce. I myself really like this food. Because, besides tastes good, Gado-gado is food that has very high nutrition. How not if a variety of vegetables full of nutrients into one, mixed with a mixture of peanut sauce is no less nutritional.
The original Betawi people, love to eat Gado-Gado. Maybe that’s why, I finally liked this dish. Usually, Gado-Gado made a side dish so how to eat it using rice. But not infrequently also, I enjoy Gado-Gado with a mixture of lontong or ketupat. It tastes delicious and full.
Indeed no one knows for sure, the origin of this delicious dish. However, many people think that Gado-Gado is a native Betawi dish. The reason, because around the year 1940-1950’s there is a very popular song titled “Gado-Gado Betawi”. The song was popularized by Ivo Nilakreshna. The lyrical fragment is like this;
“Gado-gadonya, Bung, from Jakarta”
“One packet, man, five rupiah”
Beginning of the 1980s on Radio Republik Indonesia or RRI there was an entertainment show featuring Bang Mamad, a Tailor Sado (Delman) and Mpok Atik, a Gado-Gado Man. Both of them often dialogue using Betawi language medok. Perhaps because of this event, Gado-Gado is increasingly believed to be authentic Betawi food.
But there is also the opinion and think that Gado-Gado is a Chinese peranakan version of Java pecel which he said was favored by the Dutch colonialists in the past. So, there is a conclusion that Gado-Gado has been present since the early 20th century and Jakarta became the birthplace Gado-Gado.
Talking about his name a little unique, it is said the word ‘Gado-Gado’ is not found in the Indonesian dictionary or Betawi vocabulary. But, precisely because of this dish, the term ‘Gado-Gado’ is identified with ‘mixed’. Because, Gado-Gado is a food that mixes several types of vegetables into one. So, the term ‘Gado-Gado’ will refer to something mixed up. Nowadays, some terms are known as ‘Gado-Gado’ which means mixed language.
Gado-Gado consists of several vegetables. Among them; cabbage, kale, beans, squash, bean sprouts, pare, cucumber, and potatoes. In addition there are also added corn, carrots, and young jackfruit. Depending on where we buy Gado-Gado. Usually, if the seller Gado-Gado original Betawi, there will be a mixture of young jackfruit. If in hotels, there is usually a mixture of corn that has been dipipil. There are also adds a slice of boiled eggs.
All vegetables are processed by steaming or boiling. In addition to vegetables earlier, there are additional tempeh and fried tofu that is cut small. I really like the fried tofu inside Gado-Gado. Since childhood, when eating Gado-Gado I always look for him first and separate him to eat in the last bite.
About the peanut seasoning, there are 2 versions of presentation. First, sellers Gado-Gado who hung with a cart or selling at home / stall, usually using spices that are punched directly using a large cobek. Spice Gado-Gado consisting of chili, peanut, salt, brown sugar and a little shrimp pasted directly when there is order.
While the second version, usually used in hotels or restaurants. Seasoning has been made in large quantities. Then, the peanut seasoning is cooked. Then, the spice was splashed into the vegetables and served to the buyer.
There are dishes similar to Gado-Gado, Pecel from Java. Both are similar, but there are differences in the vegetables used and the marinade. Pecel uses cassava leaves, papaya leaves and spinach while Gado-Gado is not. For spices, pecel using kencur and lime leaves to add aroma, and indeed pecel identified with a unique fragrance.
As we already know that vegetables are rich in nutrients. Not to forget the fiber that helps the digestive process in our body. Fiber is a very important substance to launch a working system in human digestion. That is why, if we lack of fiber will have an impact on the difficulty of defecation. Stomach will also feel bad.
In addition to fiber, vegetables are also rich in vitamins. Each vegetable has its own specialty. So, eating vegetables is very important for health. Especially for children who are still in the process of growth. They need a lot of nutrients to help the process grow. And, the best nutrition can be obtained from vegetables.
If described one-on-one, it seems this article will be very long. Because, Gado-gado consists of various vegetables that have many benefits. There are kangkung that are diuretic and the stomach will feel cool if megonsumsinya. Cabbage or cabbage that has compounds in the formation of glutathione, a substance that can inactivate toxins in the body. There is also a mineral-rich pumpkin. Then, there are cucumbers that contain many kukurbitasin compounds, anticancer substances that can prevent tumors from an early age.
There are also potatoes rich in potassium and the best source of iron in the formation of iron. There is a tiny Tauge who is rich in vitamin E, both to improve fertility and maintain healthy skin. There are additional tempeh and tofu which is also much usefulness. The benefits of tempeh and tofu such as dietary fiber, sources of carbohydrates, calcium, and iron.
All the vegetables are made into one, then diacmpur into peanut sauce that has been mashed. Peanuts are also no less usefulness with vegetables. Peanuts contain high levels of folic acid and contain amino acids.
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