
5 Delicious Bunaken Culinary You Must Try!
The island, located in Manado Bay, north of the Sulawesi archipelago, is one of the most popular marines and diving tours by local and foreign tourists. The blue sea surrounding Bunaken is also known as a paradise for divers.
There are 20,000 species of marine biota that live here and more than 70 species of coral which makes Bunaken marine park one of the marine parks with the largest coral diversity in the world. But, besides being famous for its underwater beauty, this 8.08 square kilometer island also has a series of delicious and tempting dishes. Some of the Bunaken culinary tours that you must try are:
- Skipjack Fufu
One of the Bunaken culinary tours that you should not miss is Cakalang (Skipjack) Fufu. Because of its proximity to Manado, many of Bunaken’s dishes are inspired by Manado dishes. For example, many people know Manado with its delicious processed skipjack fufu. This fish, which is often referred to as white tuna, gets a delicious taste because of the unique cooking process, the smoking process which makes the fish edible for a long time.
This tuna fufu is usually processed into a menu of tuna fufu, coconut milk, or other menus in the processing. Indeed, this culinary dish is much sought after as souvenirs for tourists. Skipjack fufu can be found at traditional markets or the Sario bridge, where many sellers of skipjack fufu are ready to take home.
- Tinutuan
Another Bunaken culinary dish that you must try is Tinutuan. This Bunaken food is a typical Manado cuisine which is usually a breakfast meal. Tinutuan is also popularly known as Manado porridge because it has a porridge-like texture but is made from a mixture of green vegetables, pumpkin, and rice porridge. Sometimes, some people mix it with corn and salted fish to make it taste more delicious.
- Sambal Roa
If you’re in Bunaken, it would be a shame to miss out on Sambal Roa. As the name implies, this is chili sauce, but there is something special in it. This sambal is made from chili mixed with roa fish (a type of flying fish) which is smoked until dry. Roa fish is mixed with chili, then pounded into a very fine and cooked with a bit of oil. After that, add the cayenne pepper, shallots, garlic, tomatoes, salt, and mashed sugar.
This sauce is usually a complement when eating tinutuan. Currently, there are many sellers of packaged sambal roa so that it can be tasted in Manado and be brought as souvenirs. However, Sambal Roa is more delicious if you eat it with hot rice and fried shallots.
- Dabu-dabu
The name Dabu-dabu culinary is already familiar to Indonesian people and must be tasted when in Bunaken. Dabu-dabu is a chili sauce made from a mixture of chopped chilies, tomatoes, and shallots. Usually, this sambal is a companion to eat seafood and grilled fish dishes to taste even more delicious.
- Woku Belanga
Finally, a Bunaken culinary called Woku Belanga is a culinary icon that has become an icon of fish processing in North Sulawesi. Woku Belanga is cooked in a pot (belanga) made of clay. Woku itself is a typical Manado spice and is often eaten in the Bunaken area.
The spices used in the processing of this menu are lime leaves, pandan leaves, turmeric leaves, lemongrass leaves, basil, and additional flavored spices. Don’t forget to add crushed chilies to this dish to add a spicy taste.
Those are some Bunaken culinary dishes that you must try while you are there. Enjoying the delicious cuisine of the local community while seeing the beautiful scenery will certainly make your vacation perfect, right?
Vacation is more than just food, it’s about making long-lasting memories. Discover more adventures in Bunaken by visiting Wonderful Indonesia.