Manado/Minahasa

The people of North Sulawesi eat a great variety of meat; some might say a bizarre variety. Manadonese food is a refined mixture of Minahasan, Sangir Talaud and Chinese cuisines. For the Minahasan people, eating is fun; it is possible to stop by any party and enjoy it, and then walk out with saput or take home food. Its refinement is largely due to Minahasan food being cooked by Chinese Peranakan cooks who infuse a Dutch Portuguese influence. A signature dish is Ikan Bakar Rica Rica (grilled whole fish with aromatic hot chilli, shallot, ginger lemon grass kaffir lime leaves and calamansi juice).