Pempek (Tasty Fish Cake)

Pempek (read: pem - mpek) or also written 'mpek-mpek' or 'empek-empek' is a kind of delicious fish cake. Being best-known product and commonly sold in Palembang, a capital city of South Sumatra Province, in Sumatra Island. Although its origins are doubtful, this city name already engaged as signature. There were some assumption of real story, however it was said these are adaption of an older Chinese man, an immigrant who made and then adapted into local taste. Not sure enough which one is true, for I wonder too why its name are sounds similar on the way of Chinese people calls their old-man relatives.

Pempek is made from boneless fish meat such as Ikan Tenggiri (Wahoo fish), Ikan Gabus (common Snakehead) or Gurami (Gourami) which then mixed along with salt, water and tapioca flour resulting a smooth and solidified texture.Those all fish are similar in texture, have bright color and more easier to get in the market or fish store. There's another fish, Ikan Belida (Clown Knife Fish / Chitala) which actually it said as the best taste but lack on quantity, so it globally stated not to be consumed to prevents its scarcity. The pure Pempek is definitely pricey since it contains whole meat, no addition of ingredients, but somehow nowadays we can get it in cheaper way. By built its recognition, sooner Pempek could be found anywhere in different cities in Indonesia, from becoming a brand, built a branch such as speciality store located in Malls, food-courts, street cart or even available on online shop. The early problem which is about the expensive or premium ingredients used and its distribution now become larger affecting Pempek to using familiar fish, for example those three fish above, and changing the ratio of the mixture to minimize some cost, which in the end it sort affecting the true taste. For some loyal fans, they even noted about fake Pempek, because the chaos ratio of mixture and cheaper price. It also resulting of more flavorless and changed taste when it goes adapted in different regions, for some people maybe hate if the sauce too spicy, prefer a less chewy meat (including the fish source) or even asking more variants.

Chewy bites, flavorful, tasty, it's such common fish cake characteristic. It's true. Even though the different fish meat used is also determine its taste and somehow giving a quite difference. To eat, Pempek must be fried first, to soon transformed into a golden-brown color with crispy surface. The fried method is actually keep the inside moisture and prevents the outside moisture rotten faster. It also enhance your -gulp- by yummy looks, although I was think the real reason was Indonesian people really love of fried snack. Later, don't forget the good sauce since it really raise the appetite. Cuko, how its named are made from mixing of vinegar, brown sugar (gula jawa), tamarind, dried shrimp or ebi, salt, garlic, chili and water. 

There are variants of Pempek :

Kapal Selam / Submarine

is the biggest one because it is stuffed with a whole boiled eggs. So it's really moist inside, the combination of meat and the eggs are giving double pleasure.

Lenjer / Lonjong

is the long-shaped, looks like a sausage.

Bulat / Adaan

is the round-shaped, a ball or Bakso look alike.

Kulit / Skin

is appeared as flat round. Contains the mixture of meat and fish skin. It's quite crunchier than the others, as it's named.

By dipping in Cuko or pouring together, Pempek are also eaten with slice of young cucumber and chili. It may looks simple, to letting the combination of rich, fresh, sweet and acid sauce bringing more excitement of the tasty meat. 

Do you ever get a fever?

For something special that beaten your nervous

Like the first time you may falling in love

Love the trembling sound you could hear

A fish swimming in the sea

A sound of fishes toward your breath

Are we are a fish too?

Dear black and white

It's still a pureness without doubt

Name is just a matter to where we live

But our body spend the same spectrum

Are we different from others?

Then what was the sea we sailing now?

Do you ever..got a fever?

Like your heart missing out the precious

Please, please, dear

Keep your pureness because it's precious to me

All the hail you pray are become one

We may fail when we grows

But we still a same someone to alive

Healing by the sound of the same sea

~ Fisherman's Fever @Heiki'14