Soto Betawi

Soto is Indonesia's most regional dish. It exists in every province, every city, almost every family — and almost no two versions taste the same. The dish has Chinese roots. The word *soto* likely derives from the Hokkien *sio* (stew) or the Chinese *sou* (thick soup), and Chinese settlers in Indonesia have been making clear-broth soups with noodles and proteins since at least the 16th century. The local populations adopted and adapted the dish, adding turmeric (Javanese), coconut milk (Sumatran), lemongrass (Balinese), and the spices of each region. There are now hundreds of distinct soto varieties. Soto Ayam is the universal version — clear chicken broth, vermicelli or rice, shredded chicken, bean sprouts, celery, fried shallots, lime, sambal. Soto Betawi uses coconut milk and beef. Soto Madura is clear with koya (a mixture of rice crackers and garlic). Soto Padang is thicker, with beef and *rendang* spices. Soto Lamongan has a bright yellow turmeric broth and is famous throughout Java. Soto Makassar uses seafood and is bright with lime. Soto Bandung is clear, with beef and *daun bawang*. Each version tells the story of a place. Soto Lamongan is the dish of a small Javanese town that became the capital of Indonesian soto. Soto Madura is the dish of an island people who made a single dish and made it perfectly. Soto Betawi is the dish of Jakarta — complex, multicultural, and a little indulgent. The most consumed Indonesian soto is soto ayam — a single bowl sold at every train station, airport, and street corner in the country. The variation between vendors is the point: each cook has their own broth recipe, often a tightly guarded family secret.