When people talk about Indonesia, you may picture the iconic island of Bali, or the bustling capital city of Jakarta – but have you heard about Bandar Lampung? Located in the southern part of Sumatra, Lampung Province is the fourth largest city in Sumatra after Medan, Palembang and Batam, with a variety of authentic foods that are just waiting to be experienced! Lampung itself is only 2-3 hours from Merak Harbor in Banten, or a short 45-minute flight from Jakarta.
Join us, as we explore the top 11 local foods in Lampung that you should try when visiting the city.
Table of Contents
1. Selimpok
Selimpok is an authentic snack made from sticky rice, wrapped in banana leaves and boiled in hot water. There are many different varieties of selimpok such as selimpok bungking, selimpok pais, selimpok unik, selimpok khanyat and more!
2. Tempoyak
The infamous durian is renowned as one of the local foods in Lampung that any traveller should try! This tropical fruit is known for its unusual spiky outer shell and distinctively smelly aroma. The taste of durian is very unique, with a strong scent that you’ll either love or hate. Tempoyak is one of many Indonesian dishes that’s made out of durian paste and then fermented for two to five days in the refrigerator.
It is a super easy dish to make! Simply mix the durian’s flesh with some salt and cayenne pepper to help speed-up the fermentation process. Then, after two to five days, you can start using the Tempoyak as an accompaniment to eating fish, making sambal or to enjoy with other foods as a fragrant side dish.
3. Pisro
Made from fish, Pisro is commonly eaten by the Lampung Pepadun people and certainly worth trying! They usually use thick and tender fish such as Betok or Tembakang as the main ingredient, which is then cooked with various spices to create a variety of flavours like sour, spicy, sweet and savoury that will not only melt in your mouth, but also give you an authentic taste of the area.
4. Gabing
Gabing is a soup-based dish that you may have encountered in other areas of Indonesia outside of Lampung. This traditional food offers a crunchy texture with a taste of natural sweetness, made from young coconut tree stems. Firstly, the young coconut tree stems are sliced into pieces that are 3-4 cm long, softened by boiling in hot water, and then a selection of spices and coconut milk are added to give it a savoury taste. Sometimes, mushrooms, vegetables or even meat is also added to enrich the flavour of this local foods in Lampung.
Not only tasty, consuming Gabing also gives various health benefits to your body, as it contains a lot of fibre, phosphorus, carbohydrates and potassium.
5. Lapis Legit
If you have a sweet tooth, you should certainly try Lapis Legit, one of the most famous cakes from Lampung. It is a sweet cake made of eggs, flour, milk, butter, vanilla and cinnamon. It has many, many layers so making the cake yourself will need extra patience! Lapis Legit is commonly enjoyed as a snack with a hot cup of tea or coffee.
6. Gegaduh
Gegaduh is another sweet dish which can be found in Lampung. It is a fried banana cake made from mashed banana, flour, milk and jam. This tasty bite is commonly served to guests or enjoyed with the family, and best consumed alongside tea or coffee.
7. Taboh Stew
Taboh Stew is another savoury dish made out of fish, and is the kind of food that’s perfect to eat at any time of day. There are two different kinds of Taboh Stew, one using saltwater fish that’s cooked with coconut milk, bamboo shoots, cabbage, long beans and red beans. The other uses freshwater fish cooked with Tuba and Kluwek (Indonesian seasoning).
8. Umbuh
Umbuh is a unique dish made from young rattan. Rattan is a solid timber vine (different from the material like bamboo, which is hollow), which is native to tropical forests of Indonesia. To make Umbuh, rattan is boiled until soft, and then can be enjoyed as it is with its slightly bitter taste, or eaten with a warm vegetable stew.
9. Pindang
People say that if you have not eaten Pindang, then you haven’t visited Lampung! Pindang is one of the local foods in Lampung that is a flavoursome fish stew with a yellow-coloured broth that tastes like Tom Yum from Thailand. The sour, yet savoury taste, and distinctive aroma coming from the caramelised basil leaves, is sure to leave you coming back for more! It is usually served with white rice and sambal terasi or sambal tempoyak.
10. Banana Crackers
As the second largest banana-producing city in Indonesia, Lampung has a wide variety of banana-based dishes. Banana crackers (or Keripik Pisang) are the most famous snack from Lampung. It has many flavours other than the original taste, such as strawberry, melon, cheese, chocolate, milk and coffee. Something a little different to your regular potato chips!
11. Seruit
Speaking of authentic flavours, you’ll find Seruit being served at every wedding party or large gathering, as it is one of Lampung’s most famous foods. The name itself comes from the word ‘nyeruit’ which means “togetherness”. It represents how the Lampung society values togetherness within its community.
Seruit consists of rice and fried or grilled fish, with sambal on the side – usually a choice of sambal terasi, sambal tempoyak (processed durian) or mango sambal. Seruit uses freshwater fish such as Balide, Baung, or Layis which is then seasoned with a mixture of garlic, salt and turmeric to give a hot and sour taste. The perfect drink accompaniment for this dish is sherbet made from mango, which doesn’t just clean your palate – it tastes delicious too!
