Satay
|
|
Satay.jpg
Satay (also written saté) is a dish that may have originated in Sumatra or Java in Indonesia but is popular in many southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. In the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia, satay is a breakfast dish while elsewhere in Malaysia it is eaten in the evening. A close analog in Japan is yakitori. Additionally shish kebab is also very similar to satay.
Recipes and ingredients vary from country to country. It generally consists of chunks or slices of meat on bamboo or coconut leaf spine skewers grilled over a wood or charcoal fire. Turmeric is often used to marinate satay and gives it a characteristic yellow color. Meats used include beef, venison, fish, shrimp or poultry. It may be served with a spicy peanut sauce dip, or peanut gravy, slivers of onions and cucumbers, and ketupat. An Indonesian version uses a soy-based dip.
Some allege that satay was invented by Chinese immigrants who sold the skewered barbecue meat on the street (the word satay means "triple stacked" (三疊) in Amoy dialect), it is also possible that it was invented by Malay or Javanese street vendors influenced by the Arabian kebab. The latter explanation is more likely as satay only became popular after the arrival of Arab immigrants in the early 19th Century. The original satay meat, mutton, is also a meat traditionally favoured by Arabs, but not very popular with the Chinese.
| Contents |
Satay outlets of note
Indonesia
Malaysia
- The most famous satay stall in Malaysia is Sate Samuri in Kajang, Selangor which was established in 1917.
- A very unique pork satay can be found in Melaka. This store has been around for a very long time and features only pork satay with a sauce. Instead of the traditional peanut sauce it features a pineapple-based spicy sauce.
- Satay celup or steamboat satay is a Peranakan variation of satay. It consists of raw meat, seafood or vegetables on skewers that are dipped into a boiling satay sauce to cook during the meal.
- As one of Malaysia's national dishes, Malaysia Airlines serves satay to its First and Business Class passengers as an appetizer on many of its long-haul flights.
Singapore
Satay was one of the earliest foods to be associated with Singapore since the 1940s. Previously sold on makeshift roadside stalls and pushcarts, concerns over public health and the rapid development of the city led to a major consolidation of satay stalls at Beach Road in the 1950s, which came to be collectively called the Satay Club. They were moved to the Esplanade Park in the 1960s, where they grew to the point of being constantly listed in tourism guides.
Open only after dark with an al fresco concept, the Satay Club was to define the way satay is popularly served in Singapore since then, although they are also commonly found across the island in most hawker stalls, modern food courts, and upscale restaurants at any time of the day. Moved several times around the vicinity of Esplanade Park due to development and land reclamation, the outlets finally left the area permanently to Clarke Quay in the late 1990s to make way for the building of the Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay.
Several competing satay hotspots have since emerged, with no one being able to lay claim to the reputation the Satay Club had at the Esplanade. While the name has been transfered to the Clarke Quay site, several stalls has been noted to have moved to Sembawang in the north of the city. Equally famous are the satay stalls which opened at Lau Pa Sat, particularly popular with tourists. Served only at night when Boon Tat Street is closed from vehicular traffic and the stalls and tables occupy the street, it mimics the open-air dining style of previous establishments.
Other notable outlets include the ones at Newton Hawker Center, East Coast Park Seafood Centre and Toa Payoh Central.
Like Malaysia Airlines, Singapore's national carrier, Singapore Airlines also serves satay in the First and Raffles Class as an appetizer.
Similar dishes
Brochette (French), Espetada (Portuguese), Shashlik (Russian), Shish kebab (Persian), Souvlaki or Kalamaki (Greek), Yakitori (Japanese)de:Satay id:Sate ja:サテ nl:Saté ms:Sate