The Indonesian rijsttafel (pr: RYST-tah-fell), a Dutch word that literally translates to "rice table", is an elaborate meal adapted by the Dutch from the Indonesian feast called nasi padang.[1] It consists 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. In most areas where it is served, such as Indonesia, the Netherlands, and other areas of heavy Dutch influence (such as parts of the West Indies), it is known under its Dutch name.
Despite that the dishes served on rice table are undoubtly Indonesian, the rijsttafel’s origins were colonial. During their occupation of Indonesia, the Dutch introduced the rice table not only so they could enjoy a wide array of dishes at a single setting but also to impress visitors with the exotic abundance of their colony.[2]
Rijsttafels strive to feature an array of not only flavors and colors and degrees of spiciness but also textures, an aspect that is not commonly discussed in Western food. Such textures may include crispy, chewy, slippery, soft, hard, velvety, gelatinous, and runny.
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The Dutch colonial feast, the rijsttafel, was created to provide 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.
During its centuries of popularity in Dutch East Indies, lines of servants or sarong-clad waitresses ceremoniously served the marathon meal on platters laden with steaming bowls of fragrant foods. The first to be served was a cone-shaped pile of rice on a large platter, which the server placed in the center of the table. The servers then surrounded the rice platter with as many as 40 small bowls holding meat and vegetable dishes as well as condiments.
Brought back to the Netherlands by former colonials and exiled Indonesians and Indo-Europeans (Eurasians) after Indonesia gained its independence in 1945, the rijsttafel was predominantly popular with Dutch families with colonial roots. On the other hand, in Indonesia, when the country proclaimed its independence in 1945, Indonesian nationalism increased among its people, and this sentiment projected through the rejection of Dutch colonial culture and customs, including the flamboyant rice table. Today, the rice table has practically disappeared from Indonesia's restaurants and is served only by a handful fine-dining restaurants in Indonesia.
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 some 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. Since about 1990, 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.
The following is a brief, but not nearly complete, list of examples of foods that may be found on a rijsttafel:
Despite its popularity in the Netherlands and abroad, the rijsttafel is rarely found in Indonesia. It is probably because most Indonesian meals consist of only one, two or three dishes to accompany rice, mostly consists of lauk (fish, chicken, meat, egg or other source of protein), sayur (vegetable) and other side dish. To consume more than that number of dishes at once (note: the rice table might range from seven to forty dishes) is considered too extravagant and too expensive. The closest version to rice table readily available in Indonesia is local nasi padang and nasi campur. One eating establishment still serving the rijsttafel is Jakarta's Oasis Restaurant. The Oasis' rijsttafel is served by up to 15 waitresses. However, in Indonesian restaurants around the world, especially in the Netherlands and South Africa, the rijsttafel is still popular.
In July 2011, Garuda Indonesia launched Indonesian rijsttafel in Executive Class as its signature in-flight service.[3] This Indonesian signature dining was meant to introduce the passenger to wide array of Indonesian cuisine in a single setting as part of Garuda Indonesia experience. This in-flight Indonesian rijsttafel includes Indonesian signature dishes; choices of nasi kuning or regular steamed rice, accompanied with choices of dishes such as satay, rendang, gado-gado grilled chicken rica, red snapper in yellow acar sauce, fried shrimp in sambal, potato perkedel and tempeh, also with kerupuk or rempeyek crackers.[4] [5]
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