Soto (food)

Soto(also known assroto,tauto,saoto, orcoto) is a traditionalIndonesiansoup mainly composed of broth, meat, and vegetables. Many traditional soups are calledsoto, whereas foreign- and Western-influenced soups are calledsop.
Soto is sometimes considered Indonesia'snational dish,as it is served fromSumatratoPapua, in a wide range of variations. Soto is available everywhere fromwarungsand open-air eateries to fine-dining restaurants and luxurious hotels.
Due to the proximity and significant numbers of Indonesian migrants in neighbouring countries, soto can also be found inSingaporeandMalaysia, thus becoming a part of their cuisines.
Introduced toSurinamebyJavanese migrants, it is part of the national cuisine of that country as well, where it is spelledsaoto.
In theIndonesian archipelago, soto is known by different names. In the localJavanesedialect, it is calledsoto, and the dish also reachedMakassarwhere it is calledcoto. Soto is found to be most prevalent inJava, and suggested that the hearty soup was originated from that island, and over the years this dish branched off in an assorted array of soto varieties.
Although soto was undoubtedly developed in the Indonesian archipelago and each region has developed its own distinctive soto recipes, some historians suggest that it was probably influenced by foreign culinary tradition, especiallyHokkienChinese.Denys Lombardin his bookLe Carrefour Javanaissuggested that the origin of soto was aHokkienChinese soup,caudo(Chinese:牛草肚;Pe̍h-ōe-jī:gû-chháu-tō͘;lit.'beef tripe'),popular inSemarangamongChinese immigrantsduring colonialVOCera, circa 17th century.
Another scholar suggests that it was more likely a mixture of cooking traditions in the region, namely Chinese, Indian, and native Indonesian cuisine.There are traces of Chinese influence such as the use ofbihun(rice vermicelli) and the preference for fried garlic as a condiment, while the use ofturmericsuggests Indian influence. Another example issoto betawifrom Jakarta usesminyak samin(ghee), which indicates Arab or Muslim Indian influences.Another historian suggest that some soto recipe reflects the past condition of its people.Soto tangkar, which today is a meat soup, was mostly made from the broth of goat rib-cage bones (Betawi:tangkar) in the past because meat was expensive, or the common population of Batavia were too poor to afford some meat back then.Soto recipes has been highly localized according to local tradition and available ingredients, for example inHindu-majority island ofBali,soto babi(pork soto) can be found, since Hindu Balinese prefer pork while beef is seldom consumed, they also do not share Indonesian Muslimhalaldietary law that forbids the consumption of pork.
The meat soup dish influenced various regions and each developed its own recipes, with the ingredients being highly localized according to available ingredients and local cooking traditions. As a result, rich variants of soto were developed across Indonesia.
In 2018, soto was officially recognised by the Indonesian government as one of the country'sfive national dishes: the others arenasi goreng,sate,rendang, andgado-gado.Also in 2018, soto is promoted in Asian Festival inGelora Bung Karno Sports Complexduring2018 Asian Gamesin Jakarta as a dish that represent the diversity of Indonesia. With the theme "Unity in Diversoto" presented in the food court, visitors had the opportunity to samples various regional sotos of Indonesia, thus it has become visitors' favourite in Asian Festival during 2018 Asian Games.
The spread of soto in Indonesian archipelago was followed by the localization of Soto's recipe, according to available ingredients and distinctive local taste.As the result, myriad soto recipes and variations can be found throughout Indonesia.
Some sotos are named based on the town or region where they are created:
Other sotos are named based upon their chief ingredient:
The following accompaniments are often eaten alongside soto:
The meats that are most commonly used arechickenandbeef, but there are also variations withoffal,mutton, andwater buffalomeat.Porkis seldom used in traditional Indonesiansoto;however, inHindumajorityBali,soto babi(pork soto) can be found.The soup is usually accompanied byriceor compressed rice cakes (lontong,ketupatorburasa). Offal is considered as a delicacy: therumen(blanket/flat/smooth tripe),reticulum(honeycomb and pocket tripe),omasum(book/bible/leaf tripe), and the intestines are all eaten.
Other ingredients ofsotoincludesounalternatively spelled assohunorbihun(rice vermicelli), mungbean sproutsandscallion. Commonsotospices includeshallots,garlic,turmeric,galangal,ginger,coriander,salt, candlenut, andpepper.
The colour, thickness and consistency ofsotosoup could vary according to each recipes.Sotocan have a light and clear broth just likesoto bandung, a yellow transparent broth (coloured with turmeric) like the one that can be found insoto ayam, or a rich and thickcoconut milkor milk broth just like those insoto kakiorsoto betawi.
Sotoin Malaysia and Singapore has a certain expected clear-soup look made of chicken broth, with spicy taste mixed with rice cubes.It seems that soto served there derived from commonsoto ayamtype with a clear and slightly yellow-coloured broth, pretty much similar to East Javanesesoto lamonganorsoto madura. Like many dishes, it may have been brought into the country by the many Javanese migrants in the early 20th century.