The Indonesian Rice Table (or Rijsttafel) is a dining experience that is probably unique to the Netherlands. The Dutch, rather than the Indonesians, are responsible for the inventing the Rijsttafel (Rice Table), which originated with the Dutch colonists in Indonesia, and grew from their enjoyment of sampling selectively from Indonesian cuisine. It was eventually introduced to the Netherlands, and has since become a landmark of “Dutch” cuisine. Enjoying a good rice table is the ultimate way to sample numerous Indonesian dishes in one sitting.

The Rice Table generally consists of rice accompanied by a number of side dishes, varying from the mild to the spicy. The number of side dishes can be anywhere between 6 and 60, depending on the number of dinner guests. These small well-seasoned side dishes may comprise dishes such as steamed or fried seafoods, a variety of meats, egg rolls, vegetable dishes, fruits in sweet sauces, fried ccoconut, along with a number of sauces and spices.

The Rice Table is generally served by bringing all the dishes to the table at the same time. If this is your first Rice Table, one of the most enjoyable aspects in addition to the experiencing new taste sensations, is the delight of having lots of little dishes on the table at the same time, and the added challenge of remembering what each dish actually is! All told, it is an extremely sociable way to dine.

Far from its relatively simple sounding name, the Rice table is actually a lavish feast that is best enjoyed over a few hours in comfortable surroundings.