When planning to visit Indonesian, it is crucial to know the food variation in the country. Different from English menus, most Indonesian food and drinks are not English-friendly. This means that some of the menus or foods do not have English translation especially for authentic Indonesian food. Thus it is important to learn Indonesian words for food, so you can eat and shop like a local. Learn more about how to introduce your self in Indonesian.
A
- Ayam – chicken
- Ayam goreng – fried chicken
- Ayam bakar – grilled chicken
- Sate ayam – chicken satay
- Dada ayam – chicken breast
- Sayap ayam – chicken wing
- Air – water
- Air soda – soda water
- Anggur – wine
- Anggur merah – red wine
- Anggur putih white wine
- Arak – Indonesian liquor, traditional liquor
B
- Babi – pork
- Iga babi – pork ribs
- Babi guling – roast suckling pig
- Bakso – meatball
- Bebek – duck
- Bawang – onion
- Bawang merah – shallots
- Bawang putih – garlic
- Bawang daun – leeks, green onion
- Bayam – spinach
- Bir – beer
- Brokoli – broccoli
- Buncis – chickpea
- Bunga kol – cauliflower
- Beras – rice
- Bubur – rice porridge, usually savory
C
- Cabe – chili
- Cumi-cumi – squid
Learn more about how to say Indonesian numbers.
D
- Daging – meat
- Daun – leaves
G
- Garam – salt
- Gula – sugar
- Gurita – octopus
I
- Ikan – fish
- Ikan teri – anchovy
- Ikan lele – catfish
- Ikan tuna – tuna
Learn more about list of Indonesian word similar to English.
J
- Jagung – corn
- Jamur – mushroom
- Jus – juice
- Jahe – ginger
K
- Kacang – beans, nut
- Kacang hijau – mungbean
- Kacang merah – red bean
- Kacang tanah – peanut
- Kacang mede – cashews
- Kacang kenari – walnuts
- Kacang kedelai – soybean
- Kangkung – water spinach
- Kalkun – turkey
- Kambing, daging kambing – lamb
- Kemiri – candlenut
- Kelapa – coconut
- Ketumbar – coriander
- Ketimun – cucumber
- Kentang – potato
- Kepiting – crab
- Kol – cabbage
- Kopi – coffee
- Kopi luwak – covet coffee, luwak coffee
- Kopi susu – milk coffee
- Kunyit – turmeric
L
- Labu – pumpkin
- Lontong – rice cake
- Lemon – lemon
M
- Minyak – oil
- Mie – noodle
- Mie ayam – chicken noodles
- Makanan laut – seafood
- Martabak – fried crepe
N
- Nasi – rice
- Nasi goreng – fried rice
- Nasi campur – mixed rice
S
- Sayur – vegetables
- Selada – lettuce
- Sawi – mustard
- Sapi, daging sapi – beef
- Siomay – dim sum, dumplings
- Sosis – sausage
- Sup – soup
- Susu – milk
- Susu coklat – chocolate milk
- Susu kocok – milkshake
- Soto – meat soup
Learn more verbal and nonverbal communication in Indonesia.
T
- Terong – eggplant
- Tahu – tofu
- Taoge – bean sprout
- Tempe – tempeh
- Tepung – flour
- Terasi – shrimp paste
- Telur – egg
- Teh – tea
- Es teh – ice tea
- Teh manis – sweet tea
- teh hijau – green tea
- teh hitam – black tea
- teh tawar – sugarless tea
- Tiram – oyster
- Tomat – tomato
Learn more about Indonesian bargaining words for travelers.
U
- Ubi – sweet potato
- Udang – shrimp, prawn
W
- Wortel – carrots
- Wafer – wafers
- Wijen – sesame
- Wedang jahe – ginger beer
Z
- Zaitun – olives
- Zuriat – doum palm
- Zukini – zucchini
Indonesian Words Related to Food
Besides the words for food, here are some words related to food that you should know.
- Makan – eat
- Makan malam – dinner
- Sarapan – breakfast
- Makan sian – lunch
- Bakar – grilled
- Dingin – cold
- Goreng – fried, fry
- Rebus – boiled
- Sambal – spicy chili paste, chili sauce
- Manis – sweet
- Asin – salty
- Gurih – savory
- Lezat, enak – delicious
- Mentah – raw
- Matang – cooked
- Pedas – spicy
- Piring – plate
- Panas – hot
- Sendok – spoon
- Garpu – fork
- Gelas – glass
Those are the Indonesian words for food that you should know before visiting the country. Besides learning Indonesian food, make sure to also learn Indonesian bargaining words and numbers. So, you can actually experience holiday in Indonesia like a local.
More topics to learn about Indonesian language:
- Lists of Basic Indonesian Vocabulary
- Colours in Indonesian Language
- Indonesian Words in Alphabetical Order