Semarang Special Food Recommendations – Semarang is a culinary tourist destination that offers lots of delicious and popular Semarang specialties. Apart from culinary delights, Semarang also has many old Dutch heritage buildings that are still standing strong and showing the remnants of their splendor at that time in this historic city. Meanwhile, the city of Semarang is also rich in cultural diversity, because this city was once an important port city for international trade. Various tribes and cultures live in harmony in one environment and create a new cultural harmony.
We can see this from the culinary or typical food of Semarang which is mostly influenced by these cultures. Starting from light snacks such as spring rolls to heavy dishes such as chicken rice, Semarang has more or less been influenced by foreign cultures. That uniqueness is what makes many people interested in visiting and enjoying a vacation in Semarang. So, of all the popular Semarang specialties, here are some recommendations for Semarang specialties that you must try when you visit this city.
Semarang Typical Food Recommendations
As we know, every city in Indonesia has its own unique snacks. That is what makes Indonesia rich in culinary variety. Semarang specialties are no exception, there are lots of typical snacks in this city. It’s incomplete if you haven’t tried the various culinary delights when you visit Semarang. The Tourism City, which is nicknamed the Venetie van Java, does not only offer a variety of exciting and interesting tours. But it also offers lots of special foods that will make anyone feel at home for a long vacation in Semarang.
It’s no wonder that in 2015, Semarang was named one of the leading culinary tourism spots by the Ministry of Tourism. Various kinds of food ranging from chicken, meat, fish, and also birds with a distinctive taste can be easily found in every corner of the city of Semarang. In fact, some of them are culinary legends that have existed since the 1940s. Intrigued by typical Semarang food that must be tried? Let’s see the full explanation below:
1. Spring rolls
Lumpia is one of the most popular culinary delights and is a hallmark of the city of Semarang. To the extent that there are those who give the nickname of Semarang City as Lumpia City. The typical food of Semarang, spring rolls, is indeed very famous as a Semarang food that must be tried when visiting Semarang, just like Bakpia Jogja when you visit Jogja. The history of spring rolls itself began with the creations of someone from China, namely Tjoa Thay Yoe who lived in Semarang and made spring rolls with local flavors.
The Semarang spring roll recipe is also slightly different from the original Chinese dish, Lun Pia, because it uses bamboo shoots as a filling. Apart from being filled with bamboo shoots, sometimes it is also filled with chicken or shrimp. So that the spring rolls will be very delicious if eaten with chili sauce. There are lots of places you can visit to enjoy spring rolls. But the most famous are Lumpia Pandanaran and also Lumpia Gang Lombok. For one serving of spring rolls, you can enjoy prices starting from Rp. 7,000.00 to Rp. 17,000.00 per piece.
2. Lapis legit
Semarang, which used to be the center of the Dutch government, has absorbed quite a lot of European culture and we can see this from its Legit Lapis Cake. Lapis Legit or what is also called Spekuk is inspired by European layer cakes with the addition of various spices and also aromatic so it tastes sweet. The lapis legit recipe is not much different from other lapis cakes. It’s just that, in the dough you will be given additional cardamom and other spices. The finished dough will then be put into the tin gradually. So that later the layers will have a minimum of 18 layers and stack up neatly.
You can enjoy the sweet and aromatic taste of the lapis legit spice at the Lapis Legit Anggrek cake shop Jl. Majapahit Semarang. The price for one box of lapis legit cake is quite varied. Starting from IDR 25,000.00 to IDR 50,000.00 depending on the taste and size of the box.
3. Wingko Tripe
Apart from snacks such as lumpia or lapis legit, Semarang is also famous for one of its snacks called Wingko Babat Semarang. Wingko Tripe is generally sold in the station area, terminals, cake shops and souvenir shops typical of Semarang. This traditional cake is made from grated young coconut, glutinous rice flour, and sugar in a round shape. The savory taste that comes from coconut and the sweetness from toasted palm sugar is perfect to enjoy while drinking coffee or tea. You can buy Wingko Tripe at the souvenir center on Jl. Pandanaran which sells the famous Wingko Tripe brand. The unit price is relatively cheap, which is around IDR 2,000.00 per pack or IDR 26,000.00 for 20.
4. Milkfish Presto
Semarang is also famous as a coastal city. So many foods use fish as the main ingredient, such as presto milkfish. Milkfish presto Semarang first appeared thanks to Hanna Budimulya in 1977 and became one of Semarang’s specialties. This method of cooking using the presto technique will make the small thorns in the milkfish meat soft. In addition, the milkfish meat will also become softer. So it will be very delicious to eat together with warm rice and also chili sauce. One place that is quite famous for enjoying and buying presto milkfish is Bandeng Presto Juwana Elrina which is on Jl. Pandanaran. You can get a box of five Bandeng Presto for Rp. 40,000.
5. Tofu Dreadlocks
Apart from snacks and cakes, Semarang also has special foods that can fill you up, such as Tahu Gimbal. The name dreadlocks comes from the addition of flour dough and shrimp which appear to be piled up and are included in the dish. This typical Semarang food also uses raw cabbage, bean sprouts, rice cake, eggs, and others as a complement besides fried tofu and dreadlocks. With a splash of watery peanut sauce and a mixture of shrimp paste seasoning, the delicious taste of Tofu Gimbal will taste perfect.
Know Gimbal Semarang which is quite popular is Warung Tahu Gimbal Pak Man which is located on Jl. Plampitan Semarang. In addition, usually this one food is often seen around Semarang tourist attractions. If you want to enjoy tofu dreadlocks, then just prepare Rp. 8,000 to Rp. 12,000 per portion.
6. Tofu Pong
Semarang is also very famous for dishes made from delicious tofu, one of which is quite popular is Tahu Pong or Tahu Kopong. As the name implies, in the middle of this tofu is empty and hollow. So it gives a unique sensation when you eat it with soy sauce. Generally, tofu pong is inseparable from dreadlocks and ordinary fried tofu, complete with a dipping sauce of soy sauce and the typical paste seasoning. The savory taste of tofu that is still warm will taste even more delicious when combined with the sweet spicy taste of the soy sauce sauce. One of the recommended places that you can visit to try Tahu Pong is located on Jl. Gajahmada to be precise in Tahu Pong Gajahmada Semarang. One tofu pong is usually priced at IDR 500.00 per fruit and IDR 5,000.00 for a plate of tofu with the sauce.
7. Tofu Petis
Tahu Petis is included in one of Semarang’s typical snacks which also uses tofu as the main ingredient. The thing that distinguishes this tofu from other processed tofu is the use of petis sauce made from shrimp which is thick and odorless. Sambal petis using a special blend of spices. So that it gives a sweet, salty and slightly spicy taste when you eat it with the tofu. This petis tofu will taste even more delicious together with fresh cayenne pepper to give a spicy taste that makes anyone addicted.
You can enjoy Tahu Petis at the Tahu Petis Prasojo stall which is located near Simpang Lima Semarang. Petis Tahu is also an inexpensive dish. You can enjoy this food menu at a price of Rp. 5,000 per portion.
8. Soto Semarang
Semarang also has its own version of soto which is different from soto in other regions. This typical Semarang Soto is named Soto Semarang. The local community also calls this soto as Soto Angkring because initially this soto became one of the mainstay menus at the angkringan. This Soto Semarang has a clearer, brownish broth compared to Soto Kudus. Apart from that, stuffing such as vermicelli, fried shallots, tomatoes, bean sprouts, and also cakes are the hallmark of Soto Semarang. There are lots of places that are quite popular for you to enjoy Soto Semarang, such as Soto Pak No, Soto Pak Man, and also Soto Bangkong. On average, Soto Semarang costs around Rp. 8,000 to Rp. 12,000 per portion.
9. Tripe Gongso
Babat Gongso is one of the legendary and famous foods from Semarang for a long time. This dish uses tripe or beef stomach as the main ingredient by sautéing it or what is known in Semarang as Gongso. The way to make tripe gongso starts with cutting the boiled tripe into small pieces and then sautéing it with the gongso seasoning. Don’t forget to add soy sauce, mushroom broth, and brown sugar and chili until it tastes just right. One place that is quite famous for its delicious Tripe Gongso, namely Tripe Gongso Pak Karmin, which is on Jl. Youth. Generally, a portion of Tripe Gongso is sold at prices starting at Rp. 20,000 to Rp. 35,000 depending on the portion size.
10. Semarang Chicken Rice
Maybe Chicken Rice is familiar to you and you have enjoyed it. But this Semarang Chicken Rice is different from chicken rice in general. The most striking difference from Nasi Ayam Semarang lies in the yellow opor sauce used to drizzle the rice and also the side dishes. Semarang Chicken Rice is generally served with shredded chicken, krecek, satay usu, urap, and other vegetables. The savory taste that comes from the coconut milk sauce and also a mixture of various kinds of side dishes makes this Semarang Chicken Rice a booster for your stomach when you are hungry. You can find this one dish easily around Semarang. But the most famous is Nasi Ayam Bu Wido. The price is quite affordable, which is around Rp. 10,000 to Rp. 15,000 per one portion.
11. Xylophone Bread
Roti Gambang or more commonly known as Roti Ganjel Rel turns out to have quite a long history in Semarang. The original recipe for Roti Gambang originates from the Netherlands and was a breakfast menu for the Dutch at that time. This gambang bread is called ganjel rails because of its shape which is almost the same as rail sleepers and its dense texture. Apart from its shape, what makes this bread feel special is that the sweet aroma of cinnamon that wafts from this bread can arouse anyone’s taste. You can buy this gambang bread at various bakeries or souvenir shops in Semarang. The price itself is quite varied, starting from Rp. 12,000 to Rp. 50,000 per box.
12. Warehouse
Gudangan is one of Semarang’s specialties, much loved by Semarang residents. This dish consisting of various kinds of vegetables is similar to urap because it uses grated coconut as a side dish for the vegetables. The difference with urap is in the vegetables used and the method of processing the sambal Gudangan or grated coconut. The vegetables used are usually cabbage, spinach, carrots, long beans, and other vegetables with grated coconut cooked with special spices. The warehouse is usually there at a celebration or thanksgiving event. But many have been offered in restaurants and made it a mainstay menu. One portion of Gudangan is usually priced at Rp. 6,000 to Rp. 10,000.
13. Wedang Tahu
It turns out that processed tofu can not only be used as food, there is also Semarang’s Wedang Tahu which is very delicious to drink when the weather is cold. As the name suggests, this drink is made from soybean juice and then poured with wedang sauce made from ginger. How to make Wedang Tahu begins with making beancurd from soybean juice, then cooking it together with agar-agar, sugar and salt. After it’s cooked and cooled, the beancurd is doused with ginger filter sauce, brown sugar, cinnamon, pandan leaves, and more. One of the most popular places to enjoy Wedang Tahu is on Jl. Setia Budi, precisely at Wedang Tahu Pak Adi. One portion of tofu wedang is usually priced at Rp. 6,000.
14. Mochi Cake
Mochi is a traditional cake typical of Semarang which comes from absorption from Japan and China with a taste that is almost similar to Japanese mochi. The only difference lies in the smaller size and the mochi filling that uses peanuts. In addition, the texture is also more chewy and also denser which is another difference between Semarang mochi and Japanese mochi. The main ingredient of this mochi is glutinous rice flour dough which is shaped round and filled with peanuts, then covered with sesame seeds. The most famous place to enjoy Semarang’s special food is on Jl. RA. Kartini to be exact at Moaci Gemini Semarang. For the price of one box around Rp. 20,000 to Rp. 60,000 depending on the amount and taste.
This is an explanation of some recommendations for typical Semarang food that you must try. Of the several recommendations mentioned above, which one do you most want to try?