Palangkaraya, the capital of Central Kalimantan, is relatively a new city. It has been on the news recently with the discourse of moving the capital on Indonesia to Kalimantan. This city was indeed designed to be the capital of Indonesia. Even though it is relatively a young city, it has many delicious dishes, especially fish dishes from Palangkaraya.
The fact that Palangkaraya has lots of fish delicacies is not really surprising considering there are many rivers and bodies of waters nearby. Here are some of the most delicious fish dishes from Palangkaraya.
Ikan Jelawat
Jelawat is a unique species of fish endemic to Kalimantan Island. At a glance, it looks like a catfish because of its elongated body. Jelawat is so popular in Central Kalimantan, they build a monument for it at Mentaya River. It has soft and savory meat. Furthermore, jelawat is usually fried or grilled. You can enjoy this with rice, vegetables, and sambals.
Ikan Saluang
Saluang is a species of small fish, similar to wader in Java. Due to its size, you will need a lot of them to fully enjoy the dish. Saluang is usually deep-fried in a rather big quantity. The only seasoning they use is salt, sometimes they also add garlic. This fish is indeed really tasty, especially with sambal. You can also use it as a side dish for rice.
Rabuk Patin
Sometimes also called abon patin. This is basically patin catfish powder. You can find this type of food in many places in Indonesia, with different fishes. However, what differentiates rabuk patin from other abons is its spicy taste. That is because rabuk patin is actually made with kandas sarai. It is a type of unique lemongrass sambal from Palangkaraya.
Wadi Ikan Patin
This is another unique dish from Palangkaraya. Wadi ikan patin is basically a fermented fish. The fermentation process is using a traditional technique with natural ingredients, mostly salt. The fermented fish in itself tastes sour and salty. After that, the fish is either deep-fried or steamed. Consequently, this dish has a very unique and delicious taste.
Palangkaraya is not only a great place to explore due to its natural resources. This city also has wonderful culinary wealth, especially the fish-based ones. Visiting this city would be incomplete without enjoying the fish dishes from Palangkaraya.
