Indonesia
Just Eat, U Don’t Have to Chew It
Indonesia is rich with divergence of culture and also culinary, isn’t it, Superkids? In one corner of Sulawesi Island, a group of tribe has a unique culinary called sinonggi or songgi for short. Have you heard of it?
It’s basically made of sago. Not that kind of you can find at stores. But original sago taken straight from the tree (no need to get surprised, they have a lot of that tree there). For Tolakiness, sinonggi is a main dish, a substitute for rice. It’s cheaper and simpler to make.
First, you need to pour some water before sieve it clean. The result can be kept the Mommy does for the rice, without putting it into the fridge. It lasts months, by the way. To make sinonggi, all you need to do is to pour boiling hot water to the clean sago, little by little until it becomes quite sticky and less watery. Some people likes white sinonggi (with less water), others prefer theirs transparent (more water). You don’t use spoon to remove the sinonggi into your plate, but chopstick. You take some and rapidly spin the sago with a pair of chopsticks (Oh, this is something you must see, Superkids!) and make small balls.
Now, to eat it you need soup of veggie (spinach, cassava leaves or anything is oke) because this meal is as sticky as glue. The most favorite duet is palumara, yellowish soured soup of fish.You don’t need ketchup here, Superkids. Since it’s slippery, Tolakiness are very agile eating it without chewing. Sinonggi is swallowed a whole and miraculously no one gets chocked. Fancy of trying?
In Kendari, the capital of Southeast Sulawesi, sinonggi becomes one of the top menu for breakfast at star hotels, including Grand Clarion Hotel. Beside, some restaurants also offer it for breakfast, lunch and dinner course. One complete portion is sold for IDR 20 to IDR 35
Where do we buy sinonggi?
Medulu Restaurant
2 Lawata Street, Kendari
Sanjaya Restaurant
Sorumba Street, Kendari
Kampung Nelayan Restaurant
Kendari
HAFIDA INDRAWATI
PHOTOS: HAFIDA INDRAWATI
