In Reply to: pardon my ignorance posted by audinary on Monday, 2. February 2009 at 14:28 Bali Time:
What it was until yesterday myself, it sounds fantastic so I wanted to try on our next trip;) Thanks for the replies.
The Indonesian Rijsttafel, a Dutch, word that literally translates to "rice table", is an elaborate meal consisting of many (forty is not an unusual number) side dishes served in small portions, accompanied by rice prepared in several different ways. Popular side dishes include egg rolls, sambals, satay, fish, fruit, vegetables, pickles, and nuts. The dish retains, in Indonesia as well as in the Netherlands, and in California, where tens of thousands former Dutch colonials settled, the original Dutch name of rijsttafel.
The rijsttafel originated in the Dutch colonial era, when the need was felt to create a festive and official type of banquet that would represent the multi-ethnic nature of the Indonesian archipelago. Dishes were assembled from many of the far flung regions of Indonesia, where many different cuisines exist, often determined by the religion of the particular island or island group - vegetarian cuisine from the predominantly Hindu island of Bali, halal cuisine from the Sumatra region, and many others from the hundreds of inhabited islands, which know more than 300 regional and ethnic language groups. Brought back to the Netherlands by former colonials and exiled Indonesians after Indonesia gained its independence in 1945, the rijsttafel was predominantly popular with Dutch families with colonial roots. In the past two decades, however, Indonesian food has become part of a mainstream interest in South East Asian cuisine, and there has been a proliferation of Indonesian restaurants in the Netherlands.
More of a banquet than a meal, the rijsttafel has survived Indonesia's independence, composed as it is of indigenous Indonesian dishes, and is served in many mainstream restaurants in Indonesia. A typical rijsttafel will have several dining tables covered with different dishes, while in some fancy settings in Indonesia each dish may be served by a separate waitress.