Basically there is no one singular "Indonesian cuisine", but rather, the diversity of regional cuisine is influenced locally by the Indonesian culture and foreign influence. For example, rice is processed into white rice, rice cake or rice cake (steamed rice) as a food staple for the majority of Indonesia to the eastern However the more commonly used also corn, sago, cassava, and sweet potato and sago. Shape the landscape of the presentation is generally presented in most of Indonesia in the form of staple foods with side dishes of meat, fish or vegetable side dish.
Throughout its history, Indonesia has been involved in world trade due to the location and its natural resources. Cooking techniques and ingredients native to Indonesia growing food and culinary arts then influenced by India, the Middle East, China, and eventually Europe. Spanish and Portuguese traders brought a variety of foods from the Americas long before the Dutch had control of Indonesia. Maluku islands are renowned as the "Spice Islands", has also donated herb plants native to Indonesia to the world of culinary arts. Culinary arts area of the eastern part of Indonesia is similar to the art of cooking Polynesia and Melanesia.
Sumatran cuisine, for example, often show the influence of the Middle East and India, such as the use of curry in the dish of meat and vegetables, while Javanese cuisine evolved from the original cooking techniques archipelago. Elements of Chinese food culture can be observed in some Indonesian dishes. Dishes such as noodles, meatballs, and the spring rolls had been absorbed in the art of Indonesian cuisine.
Several types of dishes native to Indonesia also now be found in several Asian countries. Indonesia popular dishes such as satay, rendang and sambal is also popular in Malaysia and Singapore. Ingredients of soy-based foods like tofu and tempeh variations, are also very popular. Tempe is considered as the original discovery of Java, a local adaptation of fermented soybeans. Other types of fermented soy foods are oncom, similar to tempe but using different kinds of mushrooms, oncom very popular in West Java.
Indonesian food is generally eaten with a spoon to eat a combination of tools on the right hand and fork in your left hand, though in many places (such as West Java and West Sumatra) are also commonly found to be fed directly with bare hands. At a certain restaurant or a common household use hands to eat, such as seafood restaurants, traditional Sundanese and Padang restaurants, or shop tent and Chicken Fried Catfish Pecel typical of East Java. Places like this are usually also present the finger bowl, a bowl of tap water with a lime wedge to give a fresh scent. A bowl of water is not drunk, only to be used for washing hands before eating and after using their bare hands. Using chopsticks to eat commonly encountered in a restaurant that serves Chinese cuisine which has been adapted into Indonesian cuisine such as chicken noodle with dumplings or noodles, fried noodles and Shahe fries (fried flat noodles, Char Kway Teow is similar).