Enjoy a variety of mouth-watering Manadonese specialties, from Manadonese Porridge to Klappertart, for an unforgettable culinary experience rich in North Sulawesi spices.
Manado, a city located in North Sulawesi Province, is a heaven for culinary lovers with a variety of typical dishes that are rich in flavor and unique.
With a wealth of spices and strong local cultural influences, Manado’s typical dishes offer a combination of spicy, fresh, and savory flavors that are hard to find anywhere else.
Each food is not only delicious, but also has a story rich in the culture and traditions of the Manadonese people.
Here are 10 Typical Manado Foods that you must try if you visit North Sulawesi!
1. Manadonese Porridge (Tinutuan)
Manadonese porridge, also known as tinutuan, is a porridge dish consisting of a mixture of vegetables such as pumpkin, spinach, kale, gedi leaves, corn, cassava, and basil leaves.
Thanks to the pumpkin, this porridge has a distinctive yellow color and thick texture. The savory taste with the fresh aroma of basil leaves makes this dish delicious as breakfast.
Manadonese porridge is usually enjoyed with salted fish or fried chicken, and sambal roa to add a spicy sensation. Tinutuan is not only delicious but also rich in nutrients, making it a popular healthy food in Manado.
2. Dabu Dabu
fresh and spicy Manadonese chili sauce. Made from chopped cayenne pepper, fresh tomatoes, shallots, and lime juice, this chili sauce provides a spicy and fresh sensation that is very appetizing.
Dabu-dabu is often served as an accompaniment to grilled or fried fish dishes, adding deliciousness to the meal. There are several variants of dabu-dabu such as lemong dabu-dabu and grilled dabu-dabu, each of which has unique characteristics and is worth trying.
3. Skipjack Tuna Noodles
Mie Cakalang is a typical Manadonese dish that uses yellow noodles served with pieces of skipjack tuna in a savory sauce. The pieces of skipjack tuna provide a distinctive taste and a smoky aroma that is appetizing.
This dish is equipped with various vegetables such as cabbage, spring onions and garlic, as well as sambal roa to add a spicy taste. Cakalang noodles are the perfect choice for noodle and seafood lovers.
4. Roa chili sauce
Apart from dabu-dabu, Manado is also famous for its roa chili sauce. This chili sauce is made from smoked roa fish which is then ground together with cayenne pepper and other spices. The spicy and savory taste of roa fish creates a very distinctive and delicious chili sauce.
Roa chili sauce is perfect when eaten with warm rice, Manadonese porridge, or even spread on bread. It is not surprising that sambal roa is often a favorite souvenir for tourists visiting Manado.
5. Tuturuga Chicken
Tuturuga Chicken is a chicken dish cooked in yellow spices which is rich in spices. This dish is similar to opor ayam, but with a spicier and slightly sour sauce thanks to the addition of lime and red chili.
With a mixture of spices such as ginger, shallots, garlic, turmeric, and lime, Ayam Tuturuga has a strong and rich spice flavor. This dish is usually served with warm rice, providing a delicious blend of spicy, sour and savory flavors.
6. Panic
Paniki is a unique dish from Manado that uses bat meat as the main ingredient. Bat meat is cooked with coconut milk and spices such as lemongrass, chilies, and lime leaves, creating a spicy and warm taste.
Although it sounds extreme, Paniki is loved by those who dare to try unusual dishes. Bat meat is believed to have certain health benefits and provides an unforgettable culinary experience for lovers of unique foods.
7. Papare
Papare is a typical Manadonese dish that combines tuna and bitter melon. Tuna seasoned with savory spices is put into a bitter melon and then fried. Bitter melon, which usually has a bitter taste, becomes more balanced thanks to the combination with the savory tuna seasoning.
The bitter taste of bitter melon combined with the savory taste of tuna makes Papare a unique and delicious dish. This dish offers a different blend of flavors from other Manadonese specialties and is worth a try.
8. Klapper Tart
Klappertart is a typical Manado dessert influenced by the Dutch. Made from young coconut, milk, cheese, walnuts, and raisins, Klappertart has a sweet taste and soft texture that is loved by many people.
This cake is often served at special events or as a souvenir for tourists. Its sweet taste and soft texture make Klappertart the right choice as a dessert after enjoying spicy dishes.
9. Skipjack Tuna
Cakalang Fufu is a processed smoked skipjack tuna, giving a distinctive taste with a mouth-watering smoky aroma. This smoking process also makes the skipjack tuna more durable.
Skipjack tuna fufu is usually served with rice or processed into other dishes such as stir-fried skipjack tuna. In addition to being delicious, this fish is also rich in protein and omega fatty acids which are good for health.
10. Tinutuan
Tinutuan, or Manadonese porridge, is a dish made from a mixture of vegetables and nutritious rice porridge. Tinutuan has a high fiber and vitamin content thanks to ingredients such as pumpkin, corn, and spinach.
This dish is often served with salted fish and sambal roa, creating a combination of savory, spicy, and fresh flavors. Tinutuan is a perfect choice for those looking for healthy and delicious Manadonese food.
Manado truly offers an unforgettable culinary experience through its various traditional dishes that are rich in taste and culture. From spicy chili sauce to sweet desserts, Manadonese cuisine is a form of cultural richness that is definitely worth trying.
Make sure you try some of these dishes when visiting Manado to experience firsthand the deliciousness and uniqueness of Makassar Specialties.