''Bakmi'' ( jv, ꦧꦏ꧀ꦩꦶ, bakmi) or ''bami'' ( th, บะหมี่, ) is a type of
wheat based noodles derived from
Chinese cooking tradition. It was brought to
Indonesia by
Chinese immigrants from Southern Chinese provinces like
Fujian. It is typically prepared seasoned in
soy sauce
Soy sauce (also called simply soy in American English and soya sauce in British English) is a liquid condiment of Chinese origin, traditionally made from a fermented paste of soybeans, roasted grain, brine, and '' Aspergillus oryzae'' or ''Asp ...
and topped with
pork products, which is often substituted for other protein sources in predominantly Muslim
Indonesia. Chinese-style wheat noodles has become one of the most common noodle dishes, especially in
Southeast Asian countries which have significant Chinese populations and known by various names.
Chinese-style wheat noodles is known as ''bakmi'' in Indonesia, where it has been adapted to more closely align with the local tastes and adapted in
Javanese and
Indo cuisine. ''Bakmi'' is between Chinese style wheat noodles and Japanese
udons in thickness, and there are several variants of ''bakmi'' in
Indonesia. The name ''bakmi'' literally translates to "meat noodle", where meat includes
chicken and
beef.
Origin and history
''Bakmi'' consists of two
Hokkien Chinese words, which literally translates to English as "meat
noodles" (, ).
Chinese influences is evident in
Indonesian food, such as ''bakmi'', ''
mie ayam'', ''
pangsit'', ''
mie goreng'', and ''
kwetiau goreng''. The words ''mie'' and ''bami'', used in
Dutch, come from ''bakmi'' and were introduced into the
Dutch language
Dutch ( ) is a West Germanic language spoken by about 25 million people as a first language and 5 million as a second language. It is the third most widely spoken Germanic language, after its close relatives German and English. ''Afrikaans'' ...
during the
Dutch colonial period in Indonesia. Indonesian food is very popular in the
Netherlands, and ''
bami goreng'' (fried ''bakmi'') is a popular dish.
In
Thailand, wheat-based egg noodles are known as ''bami'', which may be ordered as ''bami nam'' or ''bami haeng'' (egg noodles with soup and without soup respectively), and the noodles may be used in Chinese style stir-fried dishes.
Ingredients
''Bakmi'' or ''bami'' is a type of
wheat noodle with a slightly pale yellow colour. The most common type of ''bakmi'' in Indonesia is ''mi kuning'' or 'yellow noodles' made from finely ground wheat, sometimes enriched with
eggs as ''mi telur'' (egg noodle) made into dough, ground and run through holes to create noodle strings. The traditional way to create ''bakmi'' is by pulling the dough several times coated with
flour
Flour is a powder made by grinding raw grains, roots, beans, nuts, or seeds. Flours are used to make many different foods. Cereal flour, particularly wheat flour, is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many culture ...
to create the noodle strings, similar to the method to make ''
lamian''.
The most common recipe of ''bakmi'' dish in Indonesia uses chicken meat as the majority of Indonesians are
Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
s. Chicken noodle ( id, bakmie ayam or mie ayam), ''
mie ayam'' is wheat noodle topped with diced chicken meat seasoned in soy sauce. ''Mie ayam'' often accompanied with
wonton ( id, pangsit) either crispy fried or in soup, and also ''
bakso'' (meatball). ''Bakmi ayam'' is a popular
Chinese Indonesian
Chinese Indonesians ( id, Orang Tionghoa Indonesia) and colloquially Chindo or just Tionghoa are Indonesians whose ancestors arrived from China at some stage in the last eight centuries.
Chinese people and their Indonesian descendants have ...
dish and ubiquitous in Indonesian cities, it can be served in a restaurant to a humble travelling cart. The other popular Indonesian ''bakmi'' recipe is fried ''bakmi'' ( id, bakmie goreng or id,
mie goreng).
Preparation
''Bakmi'' is normally boiled for serving. When ''bakmi'' is intended for use in soup, it is usually boiled separately from the broth. The noodles are usually mixed with animal fats, either from pork, chicken or beef. The noodles are then served with various toppings: an example would include a few slices of ''
char siu'' (叉燒) or barbecued pork, with addition of Chinese green vegetables and a bowl of
broth.
In Indonesia, the most common toppings are diced seasoned chicken with
choy sum and fried wonton skin, to more expensive type using fried or boiled wonton and ''bakso'' (
meatballs). The soup is served in a different bowl, and is added to the noodles by the individual diner according to taste. Several notable Indonesian dishes developed from the original Chinese wheat noodle tradition includes ''
mie ayam'' (chicken noodle) and ''
mie goreng'' (stir fried noodle in
sweet soy sauce
Sweet soy sauce ( id, kecap manis) is a sweetened aromatic soy sauce, originating in Indonesia, which has a darker color, a viscous syrupy consistency and a molasses-like flavor due to the generous addition of palm sugar or jaggery. ''Kecap manis ...
). ''
I fu mie
Ifumi is an Indonesian crispy deep fried thick noodle dish, popular in Maritime Southeast Asia, served in a thick savoury sauce with pieces of meat or seafood and vegetables. The dishes are to be served hot while the noodles are still crisp until ...
'' is ''bakmi'' that is first deep fried and then topped with a thickened gravy of vegetables and meat.
Varieties
Indonesian
* ''Bakmi bangka'', a
Chinese Indonesian noodle dish from
Bangka Island. It is a plate of noodle topped with minced pork, slices of braised pork, mushroom and chopped scallion. The original Chinese Indonesian version uses minced pork, the
halal version however, usually uses minced chicken.
* ''Bakmi siantar'', pork noodle from
Pematang Siantar town in North Sumatra, usually served with red ''
char siu'' coloured with ''
angkak''. Popular within
Batak cuisine, it was derived from, and possibly the most closer version to the traditional
Chinese Indonesian
Chinese Indonesians ( id, Orang Tionghoa Indonesia) and colloquially Chindo or just Tionghoa are Indonesians whose ancestors arrived from China at some stage in the last eight centuries.
Chinese people and their Indonesian descendants have ...
''bakmi'' (meat/pork noodle).
* ''
Bakmi ayam'', Indonesian Chinese chicken noodles.
* ''
Bakmi goreng'', Indonesian Chinese fried noodles, omnipresent in Indonesia.
* ''
Bakmi jawa
Mie jawa (), also called as mi jawa or bakmi jawa in Indonesia, or mee Jawa in Malaysia is a traditional Javanese cuisine, Javanese style noodle, commonly found in Indonesia and Malaysia. The dish is made of noodle, yellow noodle, chicken, vege ...
'', from Central and East
Java with somewhat wet consistency.
* ''
Bakmi aceh'', from
Aceh
Aceh ( ), officially the Aceh Province ( ace, Nanggroë Acèh; id, Provinsi Aceh) is the westernmost province of Indonesia. It is located on the northernmost of Sumatra island, with Banda Aceh being its capital and largest city. Granted a s ...
, it has a curry-like flavor.
* ''
Bakmi celor'', from
Palembang
Palembang () is the capital city of the Indonesian province of South Sumatra. The city proper covers on both banks of the Musi River on the eastern lowland of southern Sumatra. It had a population of 1,668,848 at the 2020 Census. Palembang ...
, it has a sweet starchy gravy.
* ''
Bakmi pangsit'', generally known from
Sumatera area,
North Sumatera,
Medan, etc.
* ''Bakmi belitung'', from
Belitung island, with sweet white sauce.
* ''
Bakmi kangkung'', it is composed of noodles, ''
kangkung'', bean sprouts, lime juice, mince meat, and broth.
Thailand
* ''Bami haeng'' ( th, บะหมี่แห้งเป็ด, a dish made with wheat noodles (''bami'') served "dry" (''haeng'').
* ''Bami mu daeng'' ( th, บะหมี่หมูแดง), noodle dish with
red roast pork.
* ''
Khao soi'' ( th, ข้าวซอย),
Northern Thai curry-soup dish which uses ''bami'' noodles.
See also
*
Kolo mee
*
Mie ayam
*
Mie goreng
*
Mie rebus
References
{{Thai cuisine
Indonesian Chinese cuisine
Javanese cuisine
Dutch fusion cuisine
Indonesian noodles
Indonesian noodle dishes
Thai noodle dishes
Mixed noodles