Rendang: The Treasure of Minangkabau

After being decided as the most delicious cuisine in the world by CNN and UNESCO in previous years, Rendang began to be known in various foreign countries as a delicious dish from Indonesia.

Rendang is a local food introduced by the Minangkabau tribe from West Sumatra, precisely in the city of Padang, made of beef covered with a special blend of spices.

History of Rendang

Rendang - is a dish that is rich in spices, with meat as its basic ingredient. The term rendang or in Minang pronunciation, namely Randang, comes from the word "Marandang", which means "Slowly". This is because Rendang is a dish cooked for a long time using low heat. The time it takes is about 7-8 hours. This is due to the process of softening the meat and also so that the gravy becomes completely dry so that the gravy absorbs optimally. In the past, Rendang was not made from beef or chicken but from buffalo meat which was known to feel tough and rigid. Because of that, it takes a long time to cook in the process.  

Besides meat, Rendang also uses Karambia (coconut milk) and a mixture of typical spices that are mashed, such as chili, galangal, ginger, turmeric, onions, and other spices. The uniqueness of Rendang is that the natural seasoning used has antiseptic properties, which can be helpful as a natural preservative. Spices are also known to have strong antimicrobial properties, so it's no wonder that Rendang can last for weeks. 

Also Read: The World's Most Delicious Food, You Should Try!

Talking about Rendang, it cannot be separated from the Minangkabau people or abbreviated as the Minang people, one of the tribes in Indonesia, precisely in western Sumatra. For the Minang people, Rendang has been a part of their culinary life since the time of their ancestors. Even so, the origin of the rendang recipe itself is still uncertain.

However, according to the researchers, this recipe is a recipe from the ancestors of the Minangkabau people.

Some experts also argue that Rendang has an influence by various foreign foods such as Indian and Arabic, which Indian and Arab merchants brought to Minangkabau. Considering that in the 14th century, the Minangkabau area was the center of the spice trade for traders from Arabia, India, China, and other countries worldwide. Another hypothesis also says that there were already many Indians living in the Minang area at that century. Hence, these nomads introduced spices and herbs. 

There is also a hypothesis that curry, which has become a typical Indian dish and was introduced in the 15th century in the Minang area, is the basis of Rendang itself. That is possible, given a trading contract with India at that time. The heir to the throne of the Paguruyung kingdom also opens up the possibility that Rendang is a curry that is further processed. What makes it different is that Rendang is drier, so it can last much longer than curry.

Records of Rendang as a local food from the Minangkabau ethnicity were found in the early 19th century. Still, Gusti Anan, an Andalas University in Padang historian, hypothesizes that Rendang has been around since the 16th century. He concluded from the 19th-century literary records where it was written that the land Minang people often travelled to the Malacca Strait to Singapore.

The journey they took by water could take approximately one month. Because there are no villages along the way, the nomads from Minang have prepared food supplies that will last for a long time, and the food is Rendang.

Gusti also suspects that the opening of new villages on the east coast of Sumatra to Singapore, Malacca, and Malaysia by the Minang Ethnic in the 16th century also included Rendang as their food because the journey took months. Moreover, due to its durable and long-lasting nature and its nutrients, Rendang is often used as food aid for victims of natural disasters. Such as the 2018 Lombok earthquake, the 2018 Sulawesi earthquake and tsunami, the 2018 Sunda Strait tsunami, and the 2019 Bengkulu flood.

Apart from historical records, The history of Minang's rendang cuisine can also be found in the diary of Colonel Stuers, who in 1827 wrote about culinary and literature. In these notes, there are often implicit culinary descriptions that are thought to lead to Rendang and written terms of food that are blackened and scorched. This, according to Gusti, is one of the preservation methods commonly used by the Minang community. Rendang itself comes from the word "Merandang" which is to cook coconut milk until it dries slowly. This is compatible with Rendang which does take a long time to cook until the sauce is dry.

Although Rendang Minang's special cuisine has been around for a long time, the special cuisine has not been eroded by the times. On the contrary, even its popularity has become increasingly famous with the proliferation of Padang food stalls in every corner of the city in Indonesia and other countries. Although Rendang uses beef, there are also many different variations of Rendang, such as chicken, duck, liver, egg, lung, and tuna rendang. In addition, there is also Rendang Suir from Payakumbuh. What distinguishes Rendang Suir from ordinary Rendang is that chicken or beef is used, and the fibers of the meat will be shredded into small pieces.

Rendang Philosophy

As a traditional dish, Rendang food has an honorable position in the life of the Minangkabau ethnic. That is because the production process of selecting ingredients for Rendang has meaning.

There are three philosophical meanings when cooking Rendang and four when serving rendang dishes. The philosophical meaning is as follows:

The Minang people believe that when cooking Rendang, there are three philosophical meanings: Patience, Wisdom, and Persistence.

When cooking Rendang, one needs patience, persistence in stirring, and wisdom in regulating the temperature of the fire.

While in the presentation of rendang cuisine, there are four separate philosophical meanings for the Minang people, namely: Symbolically, Meat (beef) symbolizes "Niniak Mamak" (traditional tribal leaders), Karambia (coconut milk) symbolizes "Cadiak Pandai" (intellectuals), Lado (chili) symbolizes "alim ulama (Scholars of Islam)" who are strict to teach religious law, and the cook (spice) symbolizes the entire Minangkabau community. If it is translated, it means as follows.

• Meat: Rendang is made from buffalo meat or beef. This choice of meat is not arbitrary. Instead, it has a philosophy and meaning which symbolizes respect for parents or elders.
• The second ingredient is Karambia or coconut milk which comes from coconut and is used to give it a savory taste and make the rendang meat more tender and savory. But coconut milk symbolizes intellectuals or, in the Minang language, called 'Cadiak Pandai' (intellectuals) or figures who help people's lives by gluing together groups and individuals. 
• The third is Lado or sambal. Rendang has a slightly spicy taste because it uses chilli to strengthen the dish's taste. The lado or chilli sauce symbolizes the scholar of Islam, who is strict and spicy in teaching religion to the Minang people. 
• The last ingredient is cooking or seasoning. When making Rendang, a variety of spices and seasonings are used. Such as cardamom, onion, garlic, red chilli, ginger, galangal, turmeric, coriander, nutmeg, to cumin. All those spices symbolize the 'society' in the rendang dish, which represents each individual where each individual has their own role in advancing group life and is an essential element in social life in the Minang Ethnic.

Characteristics of Rendang 

With the explanation of the philosophy above, you may already be able to guess the characteristics of this dish. But even so, many versions of Rendang in Indonesia have been developed. Still, the original Minang people have unique characteristics and never fail to satisfy everyone's taste buds. The most delicious Rendang made by the Minang people is Rendang, with a dark black color because it is cooked for hours until the coconut milk dries and seeps into the meat.

The spices are absorbed by the long cooking process, and the reddish oil remains because it is cooked using low heat. Therefore, Rendang can last 3-4 weeks at room temperature. This is one of the unique characteristics of Rendang from Minang.

Rendang Basic Seasoning

Rendang is derived from the word 'Marandang,' which refers to the cooking method to drain water. The traditional Minang Rendang cooking time is approximately 7-8 hours. Then, the oil rises until the meat becomes dry, and there is no water.

The basic ingredients for Rendang include garlic, shallots, ginger, Laos, red chillies, turmeric leaves, and lime leaves. In addition, the Minang Ethnic adds other spices on occasion.

Special Dishes

There are various types of Rendang in West Sumatra. Such as Rendang with chicken, lungs, potatoes, eels, shrimp, eggs, ducks, fish, eel leaves, and tubers.

Rendang is more than just food for the Minangkabau Ethnic; it represents the Minang people's dignity. Therefore, Rendang has become an inseparable part of the life of the Minang Ethnic. The long process of making it with great patience makes this food special and always present on special occasions.

Types of Rendang 

In cooking seasoned meat in coconut milk, when viewed from the liquid content of coconut milk, there are actually three stages, starting from the wettest, the gravy, and the driest: 

Gulai—Kalio—Rendang. From this understanding, authentic Rendang is Rendang with the lowest liquid content. However, it is generally known that there are two types of Rendang: wet Rendang and dry Rendang.

1. Dry Rendang - Dry Rendang is the true Rendang in Minang cooking tradition. This Rendang is cooked for hours until the coconut milk dries and the spices absorb entirely. Dried Rendang is served on special occasions such as traditional ceremonies, feasts, or welcoming honored guests. Dried Rendang is usually darker in color and slightly blackish brown. If cooked properly, dried Rendang can last three to four weeks at room temperature, even up to a month if stored in the refrigerator, and six months if frozen. Some people think that the taste of the original Minang rendang is the most delicious and second to none—much different from Rendang in some other Malay areas.
2. Wet Rendang - Wet Rendang or Kalio, is Rendang cooked in a shorter time, the coconut milk has yet to dry completely, and at room temperature, it can only last for less than a week. Wet Rendang is a lighter golden brown.

Rendang is also known in neighboring countries, such as Malaysia and Singapore. The Rendang in Malaysia is more like Kalio, paler in color and moist with a less intense taste. Malaysian Rendang, also known as Kelantan rendang and Negeri Sembilan Rendang, differs from Indonesian Rendang. Cooking Rendang in Malaysia is shorter and involves thickening the spices by mixing with Kerisik (roasted grated coconut), not by cooking it over low heat for a long time. Due to its historical connection through colonization, Rendang can also be found in the Netherlands in the Kalio form. It generally serves as part of the Rijsttafel side dish.

Variations

Rendang generally uses beef, but there are also various other meat ingredients cooked according to spices and recipes. Variations of Rendang include:

• Meat Rendang: beef, buffalo, goat, or lamb rendang. It is the most common type of Rendang that can be found.
• Chicken Rendang: Rendang is made from chicken meat.
• Duck Rendang (Randang Itiak): Rendang is made from duck meat.
• Rendang Hati: Rendang is made from beef liver.
• Egg Rendang (Randang Talua): Rendang is made from chicken eggs with a shape that is more like chips, typical of Payakumbuh.
• Pulmonary Rendang: Rendang is made from cow's lungs, typical of Payakumbuh.
• Rendang Tuna: Rendang is made from tuna fish.
• Mackerel fish rendang: Rendang is made from mackerel fish.
• Rendang Suir (Randang Runtiah): Payakumbuh is a typical Rendang made from chicken or beef whose meat fibers are shredded or broken down into small pieces. Rendang suir is similar to shredded meat. The difference is that the meat fiber is larger, and the dry rendang seasoning is distinctive.
• Clam Rendang (Randang Lokan): is a variant of Rendang made from shellfish, typical of coastal areas such as Pesisir Selatan and Pariaman.
• Rendang Pensi: Rendang is typical of Lake Maninjau, Agam Regency, which is made from pensi (small freshwater clams).
• Rendang Eel: Rendang is typical of Tanah Datar Regency, which is processed with various leaves to produce a sour and spicy taste.
• Anchovy Rendang (Randang Maco): typical Rendang of Fifty Cities Regency processed with anchovies or other salted fish.

So how, have your taste buds been moved to try it? You can try the Minang-style rendang recipe at this link below

So that's the history, philosophy, characteristics, types, and variations that exist in the typical food of the Minangkabau people, namely Rendang, with this information, can help you to understand more about one of these delicious foods. 

Reference:
Rendang: The Treasure of Minangkabau  [2017]
Wikipedia