Gorontalo Cuisine

Gorontalo cuisine is the cuisine of the Gorontalo people of the Minahasa Peninsula in northern Sulawesi, previously known as Celebes.

The Gorontalo region is surrounded by ocean on both sides and has a strong location for shipping. Seafood is common. A variety of ingredients came to the Gorontalo region through trade. Gorontalo cuisine features several spicy dishes without sugar, which represents being genuine.

Woka or woku refers to the woka leaf which is used for wrapping food to cook and serve.

The Gorontalo people are known in Indonesia for their woven caps called upiya karanji.

Nasi kuning is daily fare in Gorontalo cuisine instead in Java cuisine where it is normally used for celebrations.

Ingredients

rice, sticky rice

sago

corn

clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, betel, candlenut

candlenut with garlic and shallot often cooked with coconut milk dishes

palm sugar(pahangga)

coconut, used for oil

banana, banana heart/blossom(putungo?)

woka leaf

shrimp

several species of goby fish(ikan duwo)[ikan nike] tiny fish common in the Gorontalo region

anchovy[ikan teri]

tilapia[ikan mujair], from rivers

mackerel[ikan kembung]

mackerel tuna[ikan tongkol]

skipjack tuna[ikan cakalang]

tuna[ikan tuna]

chicken

Dishes

• nasi kuning: yellow rice with side dishes, sometimes served in woka leaf
• lalampa: like roasted lemper with skipjack
• dabu-dabu: chili sauce
• duduli: sticky rice with coconut, palm sugar, peanut wrapped in woka leaf
• banana blossom salad, ginataang, sayur putonggo
• milu putungo: banana heart and grated young coconut, served with grilled corn?, on candlenut shell?
• morongi: seasoned shredded meat
• iloni: grilled marinated meat
• [sate tuna]
• woku: like fish curry
• ilabulo: grilled banana leaf parcel with sago dough and meat such as chicken gizzard
• tabu moitomo: complex spicy stew
• bilenthango/bilendango: seasoned roasted mujair tilapia
• uilulia: fish with chili sauce
• binte biluhata: corn soup
• ilahe: sour fish soup
• pilitode lo poki-poki: eggplant in coconut sauce
• tilumiti lo kando: fish with dabu-dabu
• sabongi
• halua: peanut and palm sugar
• dumalo: grated sweet potato, palm sugar
• es kacang merah / ice brenebon: red bean? shave ice
• saraba: palm sugar ginger drink