3 Differences of Soto Tangkar and Soto Betawi
This post may contain affiliate links.Soto Tangkar and Soto Betawi are both from Jakarta. What are the differences from these two famous Indonesian soup? Let’s dive in!
Indonesian beef coconut soup called Soto Betawi and Soto Tangkar are two very popular street food that you can find on the streets and in many Indonesian restaurants.
You can find a bowl of coconut soup with tender beef with warm steamed rice sprinkled with crispy fried shallots, emping crackers and pickles on many street food stalls and restaurants.
Soto Betawi and Soto Tangkar are both originally from Jakarta. Even though they almost taste similar, but there differences that are quite interesting to know.
Let’s check the differences!
1. History
Soto Tangkar
Jakarta has its own Betawi dialect and in Betawi dialect Tangkar means beef ribs. Betawi people has cooked beef ribs in coconut soup since the Dutch colonization.
Meat were considered expensive at that time by the locals. Only the Dutch people could buy meat. The locals could only choose beef ribs with less meat which was less expensive.
Beef ribs and the intestines, tripe, the lungs were the ones that the locals used to make Soto Tangkar.
Soto Betawi
Soto Betawi was known in 1977 and was gaining popularity when someone named Lie Boen Po introduced it in his store.
At that time Soto Betawi mixed milk and coconut milk together in the broth, making it very rich in flavor. Moreover, milk production in that era was abundant.
2. The Spices
Soto Tangkar
Soto Tangkar included big red chilis to make the broth a little bit red or orange.
Also, you can find cumin, ginger, turmeric, candlenuts, nutmeg, cloves, coriander seeds, cinnamon.
Turmeric and big red chilis are two spices that add color to the broth.
Big red chilis are not spicy. It is usually added to give color to the broth. Take out the seeds before blending.
Soto Betawi
Soto Betawi’s spices are less complicated which exclude red chilis, cinnamon, ginger, turmeric.
Even though Soto Betawi use less spices than Soto Tangkar, the flavor is still the same because it uses the essential ingredients in Soto.
The difference is only in some spices that add color to Soto Tangkar.
3. Cooking Process
The cooking process for both Soto is almost similar. Cook the meat until tender to get the flavorful broth and then mix it with coconut milk or milk.
Soto Betawi mixes coconut milk and milk, while Soto Tangkar mixes broth and coconut milk.
How to Serve The Wonderful Broth
A lot of Indonesian people love Soto dishes, Soto Betawi and Soto Tangkar are available in almost every cities in Indonesia.
You can add minced leeks, crispy fried shallots, fried potatoes, tomato slices in the bowl. Next to it is serve a plate of warm steamed rice adorned with fried shallots.
Spicy chili sauce, sweet soy sauce, lime wedges, emping crackers, pickles are the next condiments that you may add. You can usually find them on the serving table.
Spices
All the exotic spices in the both recipes may be challenging for you to find if you live outside Indonesia. Don’t worry, there are dried forms available in Asian grocery stores if you can’t find the fresh ones. They still give the same flavor as the fresh ones.
There are many kinds of exotic Asian spices that are easy to find in Asian grocery store nowadays.
Conclusion
Soto Tangkar and Soto Betawi are the culinary symbol of Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia. Both dishes represent the rich tradition that have passed through so many generations until now.
They are both worth trying if you have the chance to visit Jakarta or any Indonesian restaurants in the world.
Both Recipes are here:
