Ikan bakar — "burned fish" — is the Indonesian whole-fish grilling tradition. Given that Indonesia is the world's largest archipelago with over 17,000 islands, fish is the most abundant and most consumed protein across the archipelago, and grilling is the most ancient cooking method. Ikan bakar combines the two in a preparation that spans every island and every culture.
1. **Three-star:** Fresh-caught fish, that day. Charcoal grill (coconut husk preferred). Fresh bumbu marinade. Grilled in a jepitan for easy handling. Served within 2 minutes of leaving the grill with fresh sambal. 2. **Professional:** Fresh fish, charcoal grill, but the bumbu was pre-made. 3. **Competent:** Gas grill. The smoke flavour is absent. 4. **Failure:** Frozen fish (the texture is compromised — watery and fibrous). Or grilled until the flesh is dry and chalky. Or served cold.
INDONESIAN CUISINE — DEEP EXTRACTION BATCH 4