You will find several exciting cities in Bintan, but the natural beauty of this island is also a unique attraction for visitors. However, what do you look for when visiting a new city or country? Some travel for sightseeing, some to raid shops and markets, many others travel to indulge in delicious cuisine in a foreign land.
Culinary tourism has always been on the rise in the last ten years. Many men and women define cuisine as a kind of artistic expression alongside a manifestation of a city or nation’s culture and environmental values. This will allow you to love the area you are aiming more at.
And Bintan is no exception. Apart from being a maritime paradise, Bintan is also rich in culinary delights. The culinary delights around Bintan Island are heavily influenced by Chinese and Scandinavian culture, and as well as the region surrounded by oceans.
- Gonggong
Gonggong is perhaps the most famous Bintan dish. This type of sea snail is found in the sea around Bintan and is often served as a menu item in several restaurants around the island. Eating gonggong is relatively easy. Take a toothpick, remove the meat from the shell, then dip it In the chili sauce and consume. The taste is more or less like squid. This dish is unique and is worth trying in Bintan. Gonggong is also thought to increase the vitality of adult men.
- Otak-Otak Sotong
Sotong (cuttlefish) is a type of squid that is flatter in shape. On the island of Bintan, sotong is processed as a base for otak-otak, grilled fish cakes made from ground fish meat mixed with spices and tapioca flour. Otak-otak is a conventional snack commonly used in Malaysia and Indonesia. If the brains are often white, then it is different from cuttlefish brains which are reddish. Red chilies are the main spice in the manufacture of sotong brains, which give this Bintan specialty its reddish color.
- Asam Pedas Sembilang
Asam Pedas (tamarind and spicy) is a typical Malay dish. However, the Bintan Island Spicy and sour dishes are different from the others because the main component is Sembilang fish. The taste of Asam Pedas Sembilang’s culinary menu is also delicious. Its appearance uses a thick yellow sauce full of spices, especially the sour and spicy taste that is quite indulgent for our taste buds. Asam Pedas Sembilang is rich in protein and iron, making it relatively healthy and safe for consumption by the whole family.
- Mie Tarempa
Tarempa noodles are one of the most famous noodle dishes in the Riau Islands. Just came from Tarempa, Anambas Regency. These noodles are made from eggs and flour. Much different in shape and taste from the tarempa noodles in the area of origin.
Tarempa noodles have a sour and sweet taste that is slightly spicier on the tongue. The sauce is light though it is quite oily. The taste blends in perfectly with all the somewhat shinier flavors of the noodles. A seafood topping consisting of squid or cuttlefish, fish, poultry, and fish chunks makes the noodles even more flavorful and delicious.
- Mie Laksa
This peranakan dish has noodles made from sago flour which makes it slightly chewy. These sago noodles have been seared in a small leaf of a bowl, so the portions are very small – ideal for an appetizer or the main breakfast course. The noodles are then poured into a thick sauce with a very delicious fish aroma and taste. The sauce itself consists of a fish pond mashed with curry, ginger, chilies, coriander, shallots, shrimp paste, and almond milk.
Vacation is more than just the food, and it’s about making long-lasting memories. Discover more adventures in Bintan by visiting Wonderful Indonesia.
