Have you ever heard about Festival Jajanan Bango (FJB) before? I bet you have as it’s an annual event held by Kecap Bango (a famous soy sauce brand in Indonesia) since 2005! The event usually takes place in several cities in Indonesia. This year, it’s held in Makassar, Medan, and of course, Jakarta.

Early on this month (3rd May 2014 to be exact), Fred and I went to FJB for the very first time in Jakarta. It’s not that I didn’t know about this event before. I’ve seen it in TV from year to year and notice how popular it is among foodies, I swear. But well, never had a chance to visit one. I was lucky this year to finally be able to see the festival myself!

Festival Jajanan Bango 2014

This year, FJB carries the theme ”Ekspedisi Warisan Kuliner Barat ke Timur Nusantara” or literally “Indonesian Culinary Heritage Expedition from West to East part of Indonesia” as a campaign to preserve Indonesian traditional dishes. You know what? Here at FJB, you can explore so many kinds of Indonesia’s traditional food from Western part of Indonesia to the Eastern part of Indonesia – there are 65 kinds of foods in total I supposed. That’s what I call a culinary festival.

Venue

In Jakarta, FJB was held in Parkir Timur Gelora Bung Karno. I arrived early at 11 o’clock, but man, I can hardly find any seat! It was packed with hungry yet excited people! I saw couples, families, a group of friends lining up to buy some foods.

There are also some Indonesian traditional dance performance during the festival. But I was busy with my foods the moment the dance starts to draw the crowd’s attention.

Food

Since we originally came from Sumatra island, we made sure to try all foods we usually found in our hometown! You know, I kinda miss home, and these food somehow recovers my feeling a lil bit.

Sate Padang Ajo Ramon – IDR 20k

Sate Padang is one of my favorite food while I’m home. While satay usually comes with peanut sauce, Sate Padang is served with a thick spicy curry based sauce. Tasted sooooo good and tasted just exacty like the one back home!

Nasi Minyak Jambi – IDR 20k

Nasi Minyak Jambi (Jambi Oily Rice) does sound terrible, right? I mean, oil? But hey, I found this one is not oily at all! To be honest, it tasted good! But kinda different with the one I usually had back home. Nasi minyak is actually rice cooked with milk, oil, and many other spices I don’t even know – I can’t even make one myself to be honest. It is usually served with pinapple, some chicken / lamb / beef, and a curry sauce. To bad we are missing a curry sauce here!

Tekwan RM Sri Rahayu – IDR 20K

Tekwan is a fish cake served with rice vermicelli, mushrooms, and a nice hot shrimp broth. Plus, some sprinkle of fresh celery and fried onion. Gosh, my mouth’s watering just by describing this food. This tekwan reminds me of my mom since it tasted just like the one she usually make. Prefer a bold flavor? Add some extra chilli and soy sauce! I never skip that step. Like, never.

Roti Cane Kari Seulawah – IDR 20K

Roti Cane is an Indian-influenced dish, I guess. It can be found in Indonesia (Sumatra region), Malaysia, and Singapore. It’s simply a fried flatbread, if you have no clue about it. Here in Indonesia, roti canai is usually served with mutton curry. (Yes I know, too much curry in a day huh?).
This one is a good thing! It’s thick, and somehow, has a hint of milk flavor. Or vanilla? Not sure. Fred like it sooo much! But I prefer a fluffy and crispy one, though.

Es Campur Pak Oyen – IDR 12.5K

This one is my favorite! There are avocado, jackfruits, coconut, some jelly, served with coconut milk, sweetened condensed milk and ice cube. Es Campur is one of the most popular dessert in Indonesia. Especially during Ramadan. People usually have it as a treat for breaking the fast. Sooo refreshing! And not too sweet – which is perfect for us.

Es Palu Butung – IDR 12.5K

Es Palu Butung is another kind of Es Campur. It originally comes from Makassar. Different with Es Campur Pak Oyen, this one is shaved ice served with steamed banana, and a thick white sauce made from flour and coconut cream, and a pink – colored sugar syrup.

Interesting isn’t it? You think you miss it? Not so fast! If you guys happen to visit Makassar or Medan, you still have a chance to be a part of FJB! FJB will be held in Makassar (24 May 2014 , Fort Rotterdam) and in Medan (7th June 2014, Lapangan Benteng). Go ahead and feed your hungry stomach!

TIPS : wear a comfortable t-shirt since you will spend most of your time outdoor.
Thank you Festival Jajan Bango! Looking forward to the next one!

***

Festival Jajan Bango, 3rd May 2014
Parkir Timur Gelora Bung Karno, Jakarta
Twitter : @warisankuliner
Website : http://www.bango.co.id/tentang-bango/festival/

 

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