An Authentic And Special Dish From Sokaraja: Soto Sokaraja

Are any of you original from Sokaraja? You should be proud because it is one of the unique cuisines that has a lot of fans. That must be Soto Sokaraja or Banyumas people call it Sroto Sokaraja. Sokaraja is one of the districts in Banyumas which is quite busy with traffic. Its location is very strategic since it is a link between Purwokerto, Banyumas, Purbalingga, and Banjarnegara. This has led to the construction of many shops, food stalls, and supporting places for the rider to rest.

Including the spreading of Soto stalls along the road in Sokaraja. We can find Soto Sokaraja from street stalls to restaurants with adequate facilities. From those that have just opened to those that have been open for decades. Even not only Sokaraja, but we can also find Soto Sokaraja in various cities.

There are many types of Soto scattered in Indonesia and each has its characteristics. The contents and tastes also vary, depending on the area of ​​origin of the soup. Even the naming varies from region to region. Some say soto, coto, sroto, sauto, and tauto. The only thing that all Soto has in common is that it has a soup-like dish that contains chunks of meat and vegetables.

Then, what distinguishes Soto Sokaraja from the others?

In a bowl of Soto Sokaraja, there are several fillings. Soto Sokaraja does not use rice, but ketupat  (rice cake) that is cut into small pieces. This ketupat is made from coconut leaves or young coconut leaves filled with rice. The only extra vegetables are sprouts and scallions. The sprouts are boiled and the scallions are chopped not too small. The vegetables are served on ketupat.

It also has various kinds of meat, depending on our taste. Initially, Soto Sokaraja only used a local chicken or people in Indonesia called it ‘’ayam kampung”’. The chicken meat is boiled with spices and then fried briefly and shredded. This makes the chicken tender and savory. However, now we can enjoy other meats such as beef and tripe cut into pieces.

After the meat is selected according to our taste, Soto Sokaraja is added with crushed red crackers and a little sprinkled with fried onions. The broth with special and hot spices completes a bowl of Soto Sokaraja. The original broth is slightly yellow from turmeric.

The added value of Soto Sokaraja is the peanut sauce. Peanut seasoning is separate so we can add it according to taste. Add a lot of peanut sauce to make it more delicious. Like a pecel seasoning, but the peanut sauce in Soto Sokaraja is not spicy at all. If you want it spicy, you can add the sambal.

The taste is dominated by savory and delicious. The spices make the body warm. Moreover, eating when the soup is still hot, sweat will also pour out. Just a bowl of Soto Sokaraja is enough to fill our stomachs. Don't forget to eat it, add some local fried dish Banyumasan, mendoan (fried tempeh). IT’S SOO DELICIOUS (Kasih / Contributor)

--- Translated by Laksita ---