Culinary tourism is another attraction of North Sulawesi. The traditional cuisine of the province is unique and quite well known both locally and globally. A very popular dish is "Tinutuan", a Manadonese porridge. It is made of corn, rice, cassava, kangkung, lemon basil, lemon grass, pumpkin, spinach, spring onion, sweet potato, salt and water. The dishes that usually accompany Tinutuan are tofu, soya bean cake, shrimp, salsa and fried-smoked tuna. Many shops in Wakeke Street serve Tinutuan.
Two things have made Manadonese food famous all over Indonesia. First, the food is extremely spicy, and second, the Minahasa people eat absolutely anything!
A flavoursome local meal at a Manado restaurant is the ideal way to end a busy day touring or shopping in Manado. Take a look at our Manado Restaurant Guide below to find the best places to eat at, as well as some local specialities. Our Indonesia Restaurant Guide tells you more about the food and cuisine found throughout the country.
Food & Cuisine in Manado
In Manado the most popular foods are chillies, fish and meat. A balanced meal would include all three, piled high on a bed of rice. Vegetarian dishes are not common here and if eaten at all, vegetables are cooked with the meat or meat broth. Vegetarian travellers should make a note of this. Indonesians, as a rule, eat a lot of chilly but in this region the amount of chilly eaten is phenomenal.
Frying, grilling and steaming in green bamboo tubes are the favourite methods of cooking here. Dishes derived from Chinese cuisine are stir-fried. Baked goodies are inspired to a large extent by the Dutch, cookies being the most popular.
Sugar is used sparingly and flavour is added through herbs and lemon. Christianity being their religion, the Minahasa like pork and often use alcohol to marinate meat. Other sources of protein favoured are bat, dog and field rat. In fact, dog dishes are served at every Christian feast and wedding.
Classic Dishes
Ayam rica-rica: A fiery onion and red chilli paste tops grilled chicken.
Babi tore: The pork is fried till crunchy and a lot of chilly is added.
Ikan mas bakar rica: This spicy grilled fish is cooked traditionally in a piece of coconut shell. The fish is grilled with chilly, which is added to the fish while cooking.
Ikan mas goring: In this dish, the fish is fried till you have a crunchy soft bone.
Ikan woku: Fish is simmered in herbs.
Perkedel milu: These are corn fritters.
Tinutuan (or bubur manado): This is a wet, sticky porridge made of rice, noodles, pumpkin and other random vegetables. Although this non-spicy dish does not look very appealing, it can be quite delicious.
The most well known Dutch-inspired dishes are Breneibon, a rich kidney bean soup, and klappertart, a coconut cake baked in Western-style.
A small warung near the harbour dock to Bunaken is the best place for fresh grilled fish that is served every morning. It is a small and simple place but the fish will delight you. Ask the locals for warung ikan bakar and hope that someone will help you out.
Baked Goods
Cookies are called kukis here, and not kue. Another popular baked goody is the black bean paste or pork filled Chinese-style steamed buns. They are called bia pong or bak pao. The panada is similar to the Latin American empanada and is common in the coastal areas. It is a sweet pastry filled with dried or smoked fish with chillies.
Desserts
Fruit or kukis is the dessert usually served here. On special occasions klappertart and cake may also be served. The tart is made of palm sugar and young coconut, to which a lot of margarine is added.
Drinks in Manado
The most popular beverages are saguer, which is a sweet or sharp tasting palm cider; soda of which Fanta or Coca Cola are most popular; cap tikus, or palm wine; beer of which Bintang, Guinness Stout, and Heineken are the brands of choice; or even some combination of the four. Cako or Coca Cola mixed with cap tikus is a local favourite.
