Spices of Jakarta
Indonesia's capital, the old Dutch Batavia, a hub for spices and for the Indonesian bumbu and rempah pastes.
Traded and grown here
Best time: May to September, in the drier season.
Jakarta stands on the north coast of Java. As Batavia it was the headquarters of the Dutch East India Company, which gathered spices from across the archipelago. Today it is a city of markets where bumbu, the Indonesian spice pastes, are sold fresh.
Spices and trade
Market stalls sell turmeric, ginger, galangal, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaf, candlenut, coriander, clove, nutmeg and cinnamon. Pastes are ground on a stone mortar, and bumbu is the base of dishes such as rendang, soto and gulai.
The place and its people
Jakarta holds Betawi, Javanese, Sundanese, Minangkabau, Chinese and Arab communities. Jamu, the traditional herbal tonics sold by street vendors, uses turmeric, ginger and tamarind.
Visiting
Old Batavia and Pasar Baru show the colonial heritage, and wet markets are best at dawn.
A trail idea for Jakarta
- Kota Tua Walk the old Dutch town.
- A traditional market Look at fresh rempah.
- A jamu seller Try a herbal drink.
- A Betawi meal Eat soto Betawi.
Written by the EveryMasala desk with AI assistance. Background: "Jakarta" on Wikipedia. Opening hours, markets and tours change; check locally before travelling. If something is wrong, tell us.
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