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Dish

Rendang

ren-DAHNG
Also Known As Randang The Minangkabau spelling, the dish's own originating language.
Stews, Braises and Sauced Dishes

A dry, richly spiced meat dish rooted in the Minangkabau people of West Sumatra, cooked slowly in spiced coconut milk in an uncovered pot until the coconut oil separates and the meat fries in its own reduced sauce, coating it in a dark, concentrated glaze. Carried as a long-keeping travel provision by Minangkabau migrants (merantau culture), it spread across the Malacca Strait region. CNN International's 2011 worldwide poll of readers ranked rendang first among 50 dishes as the world's most delicious food. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Facts
Disputed
Origin Period, From (Year)
from 1400 1
Marks the Malacca Sultanate era (1400-1528); food historian Fadly Rahman places the earliest reference to rendang in the manuscript Hikayat Amir Hamzah, associated with that sultanate.
Origin Period, To (Year)
to 1528 2
Sourced to the subject's own accountMarks the death of Mahmud Shah, the last sultan of Malacca, closing the 1400-1528 Malacca Sultanate era bracket the live origin-start-year fact already frames (food historian Fadly Rahman's placement of the earliest rendang reference, in the manuscript Hikayat Amir Hamzah, within that sultanate's era). Malacca itself fell to the Portuguese in 1511; Mahmud Shah continued to claim the sultanate in exile until his death, which this source's own framing of the era's end date reflects.
Classification
Course
Main Course 1
Dietary Suitability
Contains Meat or Poultry 1
Origin Region
West Sumatra, Indonesia, among the Minangkabau people, who carried it as a travel provision along the trade routes of the Malacca Strait. 1
FAQs

What is the difference between gulai and rendang?

Rendang is the last stage, after gulai and kalio, once the sauce has fully reduced.

They are stages of the same slow cooking. The dish begins as a gulai, a rich curry, thickens into kalio, and finally becomes rendang when the sauce has fully reduced and the oil separates from the coconut milk.
Connections

Expresses Tradition

Ramadan and Eid Feasting Traditions, Food Traditions
Source Rendang (Wikipedia)
Wedding Feast Traditions, Food Traditions
Source Rendang (Wikipedia)

In Cuisine

Indonesian Cuisine, Cuisines
Source Rendang (Wikipedia)

Uses Ingredient

Beef, Ingredients
Source Rendang (Wikipedia)
Chicken, Ingredients
Source Rendang (Wikipedia)
Chili Pepper, Ingredients
Source Rendang (Wikipedia)
Coconut Milk, Ingredients
Source Rendang (Wikipedia)
Turmeric, Ingredients
Source Rendang (Wikipedia)
In the Other Atlases

Originated In

Indonesia

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject originated.

Sources
1. Rendang (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia
  • section: History
    Rooted in Malay and Minangkabau, rendang developed at the cultural crossroads of the Malacca Strait.
  • Names
    Both the Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia and Kamus Dewan define rendang as meat cooked with spices and coconut milk until completely dry.
  • Pronunciation
    Rendang is a stir-fried meat dish or dry curry made of meat stewed in coconut milk and spices, widely popular across Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, and the southern parts of the Philippines, where each version is considered local cuisine.
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rendang (dietary-suitability)
    Rendang is a stir-fried meat dish or dry curry made of meat stewed in coconut milk and spices, widely popular across Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, and the southern parts of the Philippines, where each version is considered local cuisine.
  • Infobox: course
    Main course
  • Uses Ingredient: Chili Pepper, Infobox main_ingredient field: beef or chicken, chili pepper, turmeric, and coconut milk
  • Uses Ingredient: Turmeric, Infobox main_ingredient field: beef or chicken, chili pepper, turmeric, and coconut milk
  • Uses Ingredient: Chicken, Infobox main_ingredient field: beef or chicken, chili pepper, turmeric, and coconut milk
  • Uses Ingredient: Beef, Infobox main_ingredient field: beef or chicken, chili pepper, turmeric, and coconut milk
  • Uses Ingredient: Coconut Milk, Infobox main_ingredient field: beef or chicken, chili pepper, turmeric, and coconut milk
  • Expresses Tradition: Ramadan and Eid Feasting Traditions, Lead section
    As a signature dish in Southeast Asian Muslim cuisines-Malay, Minangkabau (as samba randang), and Moro (as riyandang), rendang is traditionally served at ceremonial occasions and festive gatherings, such as wedding feasts and Hari Raya (Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha).
  • Expresses Tradition: Wedding Feast Traditions, Lead section
    As a signature dish in Southeast Asian Muslim cuisines-Malay, Minangkabau (as samba randang), and Moro (as riyandang), rendang is traditionally served at ceremonial occasions and festive gatherings, such as wedding feasts and Hari Raya (Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha).
View the Source
2. Mahmud Shah of Malacca (Wikipedia)
WikipediaMahmud Shah of Malacca (Wikipedia), later life section
Quote, Mahmud Shah of Malacca (Wikipedia), later life section
Mahmud Shah finally fled to Kampar, Riau, then died two years later in 1528.
View the Source
Wikidata: Rendang
Wikidata Q1520293, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source

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