The Indonesian Kitchen

One of the many surprising aspects of Indonesia is the way such delicious foods often complex blendings of herbs, spices and seasonings come out of the simplest of kitchens. The gleaming modern designer kitchen with tiled surfaces, electrical appliances and hot and cold running water is unknown to the majority of Indonesians. Kitchens are functional rather than aesthetic, with meals cooked over a wood fire or a kompor, a kerosene burner. In urban areas, gas burners fueled by LPG are increasingly used.