'Gado Gado': Spicy Indonesian Salad And Song

Traditional or folk songs that center around the home and family are common in Asia. Indonesia is no exception. Gado-gado, a spicy salad, is a popular dish from the kitchen tables of the thousands of islands in the Indonesian Archipelago. It is the first song with a food theme that I learnt as a child of the 40s in Singapore.

The other popular one with a similar theme is Rujak Uleg (Indonesian Salad) with lyrics in Javanese. The ingredients for both include fresh and boiled vegetables like long beans, bean sprouts, sliced potatoes, tame-pay (fermented beans), fried tofu and prawn crackers. The gravy is pound fried groundnuts with chilli sauce.

Gado Gado (lyrics)

Gado-gadonya, Bung, (Gado gado brother, is from Jakarta)
dari Jakarta
Sangat digemari (Loved by everyone in the country)
rakyat jelata…
Satu bungkusnya, Bung (A packet costs half a rupiah)
sa-tengah rupiah
Bang Achmad pulang, Bung (When husband Achmad comes home his gado2 is ready)
sudah sedia…
Jika Mpoh minah, Bung (If wife Poh Minah is too lazy to go to the kitchen)
malas ke dapur
Semua ada: (Everything's in: fried tofu, fried prawn-crackers)
tahu goreng, kerupuk udang,
campur-campur… (a good mix)
Bila Mpok Minah, Bung (When wife Minah is too lazy to market)
malas belanja
Beli gado-gado (She buys gado-gado, Jakarta styled).
dari Jakarta 

                       KARTINI - GADO GADO DJAKARTA(KERONCONG).avi by njendra.

Lyrics by: Uchin Nor Hasyim. Performed by Mus Mulyadi and Tuti Tri Sedya.

Lyrics: http://lirik.kapanlagi.com/artis/mus_mulyadi/gado-gado_jakarta

Image: Google Images.