Soto (food) - Origin

Origin

Although soto was undoubtly developed in the Indonesian archipelago and each region has developed its own distinctive soto recipes, some historians suggest that it was influenced by foreign culinary tradition. Denys Lombard in his book Le Carrefour Javanais suggested that the origin of soto was a Chinese soup called caudo popular in Semarang among Chinese immigrants. In the local Javanese dialect, it is called soto, while in Pekalongan it is called tauto, and the dish also reached Makassar where it is called coto. Another scholar suggests that it was more likely a mixture of cooking traditions in the region, namely; Chinese, Indian, and native Indonesian cuisine. There are traces of Chinese influence such as the use of bihun (rice vermicelli) and the preference for fried garlic as a condiment, while the use of turmeric suggests Indian influence. The meat soup dish influenced various regions and each developed its own recipes, with the ingredients being highly localized according to available ingredients and local cooking tradition. As a result, rich variants of soto were developed across Indonesia.