Pecel Lele is an Indonesian traditional food coming from Central Java. Although it comes from Central Java, it is now a very popular food among many Indonesians. Pecel Lele is a deep fried cat fish and sambal tomat served with some fresh vegetables like cucumber, string beans, cabbage and lettuce. Sometimes, some side dishes like tempe or tofu are also added. A glass of tea or a glass of orange juice will be a perfect drink together with the dish.
The cat fish and the vegetables should be fresh in order to have a delicious Pecel Lele. Usually, every stall or outlet has already had a supplier for the cat fish and the vegetables so that the sellers can get them regularly and quickly. As for the sambal, the sellers can prepare it by themselves in their stalls when a customer comes and orders the dish.
In Jakarta or in many other cities, we can find many Pecel Lele sellers. They are scattered in every corner, on the sidewalks, in parking areas or near campuses. They open a small temporary stall which Indonesians call “warung tenda”. We usually have this food for dinner because the sellers usually open their stalls at around 4 or 5 pm. They open their stalls only for a few hours. They usually close their stalls around midnight when there are no many customers anymore.
Pecel Lele has become many Indonesian’s favorite food because it is tasty, relatively cheap and nutritious. We just have to pay 15,000 – 20,000 rupiah for a portion of delicious Pecel Lele. We can add more variations in the dish like tofu or tempe. It is also a nutritious food as cat fish contains much protein and it is served with some fresh vegetables like cucumber and lettuce.
Due to its relatively cheap price, its customers are people from all walks of life. Students are probably those who love to eat this food the most because the price really suits their pocket money. However, employees who have just finished their work or families who want to have dinner also love to eat it.
In short, although Pecel Lele originates from Central Java, it has become the favorite food of many Indonesians because it is relatively cheap, tasty and nutritious.
/// Written by Eko Suhariyanto, Indonesia
