Satay

Satay, also spelled sate, is a Southeast Asian dish of small pieces of seasoned meat, seafood or vegetables threaded onto skewers and grilled over charcoal, regarded as a national dish in both Indonesia and Malaysia. It developed in Maritime Southeast Asia, particularly Java, Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula, blending Middle Eastern kebab traditions, South Asian cooking techniques and Chinese culinary practices. Meat is cut into small cubes, marinated often in turmeric or sweet soy sauce, threaded on skewers traditionally made from coconut fronds or bamboo, and grilled over charcoal, then served with a sauce, most often peanut based, alongside rice cakes, cucumber or pickled vegetables. In 2020 satay was included in Singapore's UNESCO inscription of hawker culture, and its name is thought to derive from the Tamil word catai, meaning flesh.