If New York is called as "Big Apple" and Jakarta as "Big Durian", Yogyakarta is possibly called "Big Jackfruit" because of the well-known gudeg. Gudeg becomes a main menu for those who visit Java Island. Gori (young jackfruit) is cooked together with coconut milk and many spices for hours. After it is done, the gori will taste sweet. Gudeg is usually served with hot krecek (cow skin), telur pindang (egg), tahu and tempe bacem (soya cake), ayam opor or bacem (chicken), and areh gurih (coconut milk dressing) that give special sensation when you eat it.
GUDEG KERING, GUDEG BASAH, AND GUDEG MANGGAR
Gudeg Basah
Gudeg Kering
Gudeg Manggar
For many people, gudeg has only one style, but actually, there are three kinds of gudeg, namely gudeg kering, gudeg basah, and gudeg manggar. Gudeg basah is served with yummy coconut milk gravy. This food, which is a right choice for breakfast, can be found on Kaliurang Street (Barek area), at Gudeg Batas Kota (Adisucipto Street in front of Saphir Square) or the street hawker at traditional markets in Yogyakarta.
Gudeg kering (dry gudeg) is cooked longer than gudeg basah until the gravy dry and the color turns into brown. It also tastes sweeter. It can last for 24 hours or more if it is stored in a refrigerator.
Besides gudeg from young jackfruit, Yogyakarta also has gudeg manggar. Manggar means coconut flower that bears a different sensation in this food because this flower has crunchy texture like mushroom. However, the limitation stock of raw material (manggar) makes this food is hardly found. Some sellers should close their restaurant and only serves this food with order. There are only several places to find it like in Bantul.
FROM THE DAWN UNTIL MIDNIGHT
Yogyakarta is a never-sleep city and one of the things that always make it awake is gudeg. Many gudeg sellers sell their food from the dawn till midnight. When the sun starts to shine, Wijilan and Barek also start to be alive and many people start their day by having gudeg as their breakfast. The sellers in these areas will patiently serves the visitors until 8 or 9p.m. Do you want to eat gudeg in the middle of the night? You don't need to worry because Gudeg Batas Kota (on Adisucipto Sreet in front of Saphir Square) opens at 10p.m and is ready to serve you with its yummy food. For other alternative, you can try the sensation of how to eat gudeg in the kitchen where it is cooked at Gudeg Pawon on Janturan Street 36-38 Warungboto
