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Semur: The Sweet Soy Braise

Overview

Semur — from the Portuguese *cimor* or the Dutch *smoor* (to stew) — is one of the clearest colonial-origin preparations in Indonesian cooking. The technique: protein (usually beef) braised in a sweet, dark sauce dominated by kecap manis, nutmeg, and clove. The Portuguese and Dutch both brought stewing traditions; the Indonesians added kecap manis and nutmeg and created something entirely new.

Source

INDONESIAN CUISINE — DEEP EXTRACTION BATCH 4

Cross-Cuisine Parallels

Filipino adobo (same sweet-soy-vinegar braise — vinegar provides the acid that semur lacks), Japanese nikujaga (same sweet soy sauce beef-potato stew — dashi replaces the spice base), Dutch stoofvlees