As a considerably old city, various kinds of traditional dishes can still be found in the city of Surabaya, with one of them being Sate Karak. Not many people know this particular dish of Surabaya, except those who live in the northern part of Surabaya, in particular Ampel and the surrounding region. Arguably Ampel Surabaya is a storehouse of culinary heritage. I also have only recently heard of this dish when conversing with Mr. Dukut Imam Widodo, the popular history chronicler of Surabaya at the time of his writing the book “Monggo Dipun Badhog” that tells the culinary heritage of the past in Surabaya.
Finally after gathering some information from the “key informants” of the Ampel, like Mr. Said Basymeleh, Mr. Syuhada and Adhil Alba, we started looking for Sate Karak. It was not as difficult as people think to find the seller of Sate Karak. It is located at the alley of Ampel Lonceng, opposite the Grand Kalimas Hotel at Jalan KH Mas Mansour.
Sate karak is not a satay of karak crackers—there are actually no crackers here. This satay is made from flavoured beef remains and innards. Interestingly, the satays are served on a plate with black sticky rice mixed with grated coconut and chili powder.
This creates a distinctive flavor, a blend of savory and richness commonly found in Surabaya food. The black glutinous rice is not too sticky, while the grated coconut brings out the sweet taste of fresh coconut. When both are eaten along with the chili powder and satay chunks, they certainly present unique taste.
Those less-adventurous (or cholesterol-counters) who would rather skip the innards, can also order the meat satay only. You can also ask can ask for white rice instead of black rice, though you’ll be missing out. It is precisely the combination of those sticky rice flavors that gives it a very distinctive flavor. For those of you who are curious, just head to the Ampel Lonceng alley. You can find the Sate Karak seller from 17.00 onwards.
We have remarkable culinary richness in the city of Surabaya, great to be tasted and documented. Happy belly greetings!
English translation edited by Okhee Shim
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