Satay ( , in the US also ), or sate in
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
, is a
Javanese dish of
seasoned,
skewered and
grilled meat, served with a
sauce
In cooking, a sauce is a liquid, cream, or semi- solid food, served on or used in preparing other foods. Most sauces are not normally consumed by themselves; they add flavour, texture, and visual appeal to a dish. ''Sauce'' is a French wor ...
. Satay originated in
Java
Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea (a part of Pacific Ocean) to the north. With a population of 156.9 million people (including Madura) in mid 2024, proje ...
,
but has spread throughout Indonesia, into Southeast Asia, Europe, America, and beyond.
Indonesian satay is often served with
peanut sauce and
kecap manis – a sweet soy sauce, and is often accompanied with
ketupat or
lontong
''Lontong'' () is an Indonesian cuisine, Indonesian dish made of compressed rice cake in the form of a Cylinder (geometry), cylinder wrapped inside a banana leaf, commonly found in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. Rice is rolled inside a bana ...
, a type of rice cake, though the diversity of the country has produced a wide variety of satay recipes. It is also popular in many other Southeast Asian countries including Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.
It also recognized and popular in Suriname and the Netherlands.
In
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...
, it has become a staple of the local diet as a result of the
influences from the local Malay community.
Satay may consist of diced or sliced
chicken
The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated subspecies of the red junglefowl (''Gallus gallus''), originally native to Southeast Asia. It was first domesticated around 8,000 years ago and is now one of the most common and w ...
,
goat
The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a species of Caprinae, goat-antelope that is mostly kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the ...
,
mutton,
beef
Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle (''Bos taurus''). Beef can be prepared in various ways; Cut of beef, cuts are often used for steak, which can be cooked to varying degrees of doneness, while trimmings are often Ground beef, grou ...
,
pork
Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig animal husbandry, husbandry dating back to 8000–9000 BCE.
Pork is eaten both freshly cooke ...
,
fish
A fish (: fish or fishes) is an aquatic animal, aquatic, Anamniotes, anamniotic, gill-bearing vertebrate animal with swimming fish fin, fins and craniate, a hard skull, but lacking limb (anatomy), limbs with digit (anatomy), digits. Fish can ...
, other meats, or
tofu
or bean curd is a food prepared by Coagulation (milk), coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into solid white blocks of varying softness: ''silken'', ''soft'', ''firm'', and ''extra (or super) firm''. It originated in Chin ...
;
bamboo
Bamboos are a diverse group of mostly evergreen perennial plant, perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily (biology), subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family, in th ...
skewers are often used, while rustic style of preparations employ skewers from the midrib of the
coconut
The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family (biology), family (Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, ...
palm frond. The meat is
grilled over a wood or charcoal fire, then served with various spicy seasonings. Satay can be served in various sauces; however, most often they are served in a combination of
soy and peanut sauce, causing the sauce alone to often be referred to as "satay".
The
national dish
A national dish is a culinary Dish (food), dish that is strongly associated with a particular country. A dish can be considered a national dish for a variety of reasons:
* It is a staple food, made from a selection of locally available foodstuffs ...
of Indonesia,
satay is popular as
street food,
found in restaurants, and at traditional celebration feasts. Close analogues are
yakitori from Japan,
kǎoròu chuàn from China,
seekh kebab from India,
shish kebab from
Turkey
Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
and the Middle East,
shashlik from the
Caucasus
The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region spanning Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is situated between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, comprising parts of Southern Russia, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. The Caucasus Mountains, i ...
, and
sosatie from South Africa. It is listed at number 14 on ''World's 50 most delicious foods'' readers' poll compiled by CNN Go in 2011.
History
Satay may have been developed by
Java
Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea (a part of Pacific Ocean) to the north. With a population of 156.9 million people (including Madura) in mid 2024, proje ...
nese street vendors as an adaptation of
kebabs from the Indian Subcontinent.
The introduction of satay, and other now-iconic dishes such as and based on meats such as goat and lamb, coincided with an influx of
Indian and
Arab
Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world.
Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of years ...
traders and immigrants starting in the 18th century.
The Indonesian publication ''
Koran Jakarta'' claimed that ''sate'', and ultimately satay, originated from Javanese term ''sak beteng'' which means one stick, and that the dish had existed as early as the 15th century.
From Java, satay spread through the
Indonesian Archipelago and, as a consequence, numerous variations of the dish have been developed. By the late-19th century, satay had crossed the
Strait of Malacca into neighbouring
Malaysia
Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...
, Singapore, and
Thailand
Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
.
In the 19th century, the term migrated, presumably with Malay immigrants from the Dutch East Indies, to South Africa, where it is known as .
The
Indo Dutch people took this dish, as well as many other Indonesian specialties, to the Netherlands, thereby influencing
Dutch cuisine.
Name
According to the ''
Oxford English Dictionary
The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED'') is the principal historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP), a University of Oxford publishing house. The dictionary, which published its first editio ...
'', the English word ''satay'' is derived from the
Malay word ,
also or in
Indonesian, ultimately originating from
Tamil (, a regional variant of meaning 'flesh'.
The term is mentioned as ''saté'' in
Dutch with one of earliest photographs of satay seller appeared circa 1870 in Java,
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies (; ), was a Dutch Empire, Dutch colony with territory mostly comprising the modern state of Indonesia, which Proclamation of Indonesian Independence, declared independence on 17 Au ...
. The usage in English was first attested in 1917 with reference to a "" seller in
Singapore
Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
, later a mention of in
Denpasar,
Bali
Bali (English:; Balinese language, Balinese: ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller o ...
appeared in 1937, with a description of Malays cooking ''satay'' appearing in 1955.
Preparation

Chicken is the most common meat used in satay, with other common choices including lamb, goat, mutton, beef,
venison, and rabbit; seafood such as fish,
shrimp
A shrimp (: shrimp (American English, US) or shrimps (British English, UK)) is a crustacean with an elongated body and a primarily Aquatic locomotion, swimming mode of locomotion – typically Decapods belonging to the Caridea or Dendrobranchi ...
, and
squid
A squid (: squid) is a mollusc with an elongated soft body, large eyes, eight cephalopod limb, arms, and two tentacles in the orders Myopsida, Oegopsida, and Bathyteuthida (though many other molluscs within the broader Neocoleoidea are also ...
;
offal
Offal (), also called variety meats, pluck or organ meats, is the internal organ (anatomy), organs of a butchered animal. Offal may also refer to the by-products of Milling (grinding), milled grains, such as corn or wheat.
Some cultures strong ...
such as
liver
The liver is a major metabolic organ (anatomy), organ exclusively found in vertebrates, which performs many essential biological Function (biology), functions such as detoxification of the organism, and the Protein biosynthesis, synthesis of var ...
, intestine, and
tripe, is also used.
Most satay is made by cutting the meat into small thumb-size cubes, however, such recipes as Ponorogo use a single finger-like chicken fillet.

The skewers used for chicken satay are traditionally made from ''lidi'', a midrib of coconut fronds. Bamboo skewers might be used instead. For firmer meats, such as lamb, goat, and beef, a thicker bamboo skewer is used. The skewers are usually soaked in water before using to avoid burning during grilling. Each skewer usually holds three or four pieces of meat. A goat meat satay might insert a cube of fat between meat cubes.
Turmeric gives the dish its characteristic yellow colour. Another popular marinade is ''
kecap manis'' (sweet soy sauce) mixed with coconut oil or palm
margarine. The skewered meat is seasoned, marinated, and then grilled on
charcoal embers.
Satay may be served with a
spicy
Pungency ( ) is the taste of food commonly referred to as spiciness, hotness or heat, found in foods such as chili peppers. Highly pungent tastes may be experienced as unpleasant. The term piquancy ( ) is sometimes applied to foods with a lower ...
peanut sauce dip, or peanut gravy, served with slices of ''
lontong
''Lontong'' () is an Indonesian cuisine, Indonesian dish made of compressed rice cake in the form of a Cylinder (geometry), cylinder wrapped inside a banana leaf, commonly found in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. Rice is rolled inside a bana ...
'' or ''
ketupat'' (rice cakes), garnished with a sprinkle of ''
bawang goreng'' (crisp fried shallot), and accompanied by ''
acar'' (pickles) consisting of slivers of onions, carrots, and
cucumbers in vinegar, salt, and sugar solution. Mutton satay is usually served with kecap manis instead of peanut sauce. Pork satay can be served in a
pineapple
The pineapple (''Ananas comosus'') is a Tropical vegetation, tropical plant with an edible fruit; it is the most economically significant plant in the family Bromeliaceae.
The pineapple is indigenous to South America, where it has been culti ...
-based satay sauce or cucumber
relish
A relish (a pickle-based condiment) is a cooking, cooked and pickling, pickled culinary dish made of chopped vegetables, fruits or herbs, typically used as a condiment to enhance a staple. Examples are chutneys and the North American relish, a p ...
.
Availability in Indonesia

Satay can be prepared home-made or acquired from satay sellers; either from fancy restaurants, modest tarp-tent ''
warung'' eateries stationed on busy street side, to travelling food vendors frequenting residential areas. Indeed, satay is possibly one of the most popular
street food in Southeast Asia; common in Indonesia to Malaysia and Thailand.

In Indonesia, traditionally there are several methods on selling satay. They are:
*''Pikulan'': In Indonesian, ''pikulan'' means carrying items by balancing a rod on one's shoulder. The most traditional way of selling satay was depicted in early photographs of Java in the late 19th century, showing the travelling satay vendor using this ''pikulan'' which resembles two small wooden cabinets carried with a rod made of either bamboo, wood, or rattan.
*''Sunggi'': In Javanese, ''sunggi'' means carrying things upon one's head using some kind of tray or platter. This practice is quite common in today's Bali and rural Java. The ''sunggi'' satay vendors—usually women—carry raw satays, lontongs, peanut sauce upon the wooden or wicker bamboo tray on their head, while carrying basket containing grill, charcoal, bamboo fan, sweet soy sauce bottle, and wooden small short chair called ''dingklik''. The satay seller ladies may walk through residential areas or position their wares in busy areas (e.g. marketplace or
tourism area), and grill the satay to their customer's order.
*''Gerobak'': In Indonesian, ''gerobak'' means wheeled cart. It is one of the common method of selling satay by travelling vendors. The Madura satay vendor cart usually has unique boat-like shape ''gerobak''
food cart.
*''Warung'': In Indonesian, ''
warung'' means modest shop, selling foods or other things. The most common satay ''warung'' usually are ''warung tenda'', modest tarp-tent shop stationed in busy street side to await customers.
*Online satay: In recent years with the advent of digital multi-service method that includes food delivery such as
GoFood and
GrabFood, satay is available by ordering online, and the food immediately delivered by
motorcycle taxi called ''ojek''.
In Indonesia, there are some restaurants that specialise in serving various kinds of satay and presenting them as their specialties, such as Sate Ponorogo Restaurant, Sate Blora Restaurant, and also chains of Sate Khas Senayan restaurants, previously known as Satay House Senayan.
Variants
Indonesia

Satay (known as ''sate'' in
Indonesian and pronounced similar to the English "satay") is a widely renowned dish in almost all regions of Indonesia; it is considered the
national dish
A national dish is a culinary Dish (food), dish that is strongly associated with a particular country. A dish can be considered a national dish for a variety of reasons:
* It is a staple food, made from a selection of locally available foodstuffs ...
and one of Indonesia's best dishes.
Satay is a staple in
Indonesian cuisine
Indonesian cuisine is a collection of various regional culinary traditions by various ethnic groups that formed in the archipelagic nation of Indonesia. There are a wide variety of recipes and cuisines in part because Indonesia is composed ...
, served everywhere from street carts to fine dining establishments, as well as in homes and at public gatherings. As a result, many variations have been developed throughout the Indonesian Archipelago. The satay variants in Indonesia is usually named after the region its originated, the meats, parts or ingredients its uses, also might named after the process or method of cooking.
Chicken
; Sate Ponorogo (Ponorogo satay): A variant of satay originating in
Ponorogo, a town in
East Java. It is made from sliced marinated chicken meat, and served with a sauce made of peanuts and chili sauce and garnished with shredded shallots,
sambal (chili paste) and lime juice. The meat is marinated in spices and sweet soy sauce, in a process called ''bacem'' and is served with rice or lontong (rice cake). The grill is made from terracotta earthenware with a hole in one side to allow ventilation for the coals. After three months of use, the earthenware grill disintegrates, and must be replaced.

; Sate Ambal: A satay variant from Ambal,
Kebumen,
Central Java. This satay uses a native breed of poultry, ''
ayam kampung''. The sauce is not based on peanuts, but rather ground
tempe, chilli and spices. The chicken meat is marinated for about two hours to make the meat tastier. This satay is accompanied with ''
ketupat''.

; Sate Asin Pedas: A salty and spicy chicken, goat and beef satay from
Bandung
Bandung is the capital city of the West Java province of Indonesia. Located on the island of Java, the city is the List of Indonesian cities by population, fourth-most populous city and fourth largest city in Indonesia after Jakarta, Surabay ...
in
West Java
West Java (, ) is an Indonesian Provinces of Indonesia, province on the western part of the island of Java, with its provincial capital in Bandung. West Java is bordered by the province of Banten and the country's capital region of Jakarta to t ...
.
; Sate Ayam:
Chicken
The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated subspecies of the red junglefowl (''Gallus gallus''), originally native to Southeast Asia. It was first domesticated around 8,000 years ago and is now one of the most common and w ...
satay, the most common and widely distributed type of satay in Indonesia.
; Sate Ayam Kampung: Using ''ayam kampung'' (
free range chicken) meat.
; Sate Ayam Rebus: Boiled chicken satay. It has become a side dish of ''
soto'', ''
mie jawa'', or ''
nasi goreng jawa''.
; Sate Banjar: A variant of chicken satay popular in
Southern Kalimantan, especially in the town of
Banjarmasin.
; Sate Blendet: Chicken satay with yellow sauce from Balong District in
Ponorogo. The sauce is made of shallots, garlic, candlenuts, coconut milk, and turmeric.
; Sate Blora: A variant originating in
Blora, in
Central Java. This variant is made of chicken (meat and skin) pieces that are smaller compared to the other variants. It is normally eaten with peanut sauce, rice, and a traditional soup made of coconut milk and herbs. Sate Blora is grilled in front of buyers as they are eating. The buyers tell the vendor to stop grilling when they are sated.
; Sate Brutu: Fleshy part of chicken's tail satay.
; Sate Kulit: Skin Satay. Found in
Sumatra
Sumatra () is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the list of islands by area, sixth-largest island in the world at 482,286.55 km2 (182,812 mi. ...
, this is a crisp satay made from marinated chicken skin.
; Sate Madura (Madura satay): Originating on the island of
Madura
is an list of islands of Indonesia, Indonesian island off the northeastern coast of Java. The island comprises an area of approximately (administratively including various smaller islands to the east, southeast and north that are administratively ...
, near Java, it is a famous satay variant among Indonesians. Most often made from mutton or chicken, the recipe's main characteristic is the black sauce made from
Indonesian sweet soy sauce/kecap manis mixed with palm sugar (called ''gula jawa'' or "Javanese sugar" in Indonesia), garlic, deep fried shallots, peanut paste, petis (a kind of
shrimp paste), ''kemiri'' (candlenut), and salt. Chicken Madura satay is usually served in peanut sauce, while the mutton Madura satay is usually served in sweet soy sauce. ''Sate Madura'' uses thinner chunks of meat than other variants. It is eaten with rice or rice cakes wrapped in banana/coconut leaves (''lontong/ketupat''), they are usually sliced into smaller pieces before being served. Raw thinly sliced shallots and plain sambal are often served as condiments.

; Sate Srepeh: A variant of chicken satay from
Rembang. The satay uses spicy orange sauce and eaten with rice and tofu.
;
Sate Taichan: A spicy chicken satay in hot
sambal sauce, served with ''lontong'', popular in Jakarta. It was said that the dish was an adaptation of skewered Chinese snack from Taiwan, which originally uses pork or rabbit meat, and served with soy sauce. The Indonesian version maintain the light Chinese-style seasoning, replaces pork with chicken, and adds spiciness with the addition of hot sambal. Another source mentioned that sate Taichan was devised from a Japanese man's specific request that his satay omits peanut sauce and sweet soy sauce, and only seasoned with a dash of salt and lime juice, and served with chili paste.
Beef

; Sate Bumbon: A spiced beef satay from
Kendal
Kendal, once Kirkby in Kendal or Kirkby Kendal, is a market town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Westmorland and Furness, England. It lies within the River Kent's dale, from which its name is derived, just outside the boundary of t ...
,
Central Java. It serves with peanut sauce,
lontong
''Lontong'' () is an Indonesian cuisine, Indonesian dish made of compressed rice cake in the form of a Cylinder (geometry), cylinder wrapped inside a banana leaf, commonly found in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. Rice is rolled inside a bana ...
, boiled bean sprouts, and young jackfruit
sayur lodeh.
; Sate Buntel: Lit: Wrapped Satay, a speciality from
Solo
Solo or SOLO may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Characters
* Han Solo, a ''Star Wars'' character
* Jacen Solo, a Jedi in the non-canonical ''Star Wars Legends'' continuity
* Kylo Ren (Ben Solo), a ''Star Wars'' character
* Napoleon Solo, fr ...
or
Surakarta
Surakarta (Javanese script, Javanese: , Pegon script, Pegon: ), known colloquially as Solo (Javanese script, Javanese: ; ), is a major List of regencies and cities of Indonesia, city in Central Java, Indonesia. The city adjoins Karanganyar Reg ...
,
Central Java. It is made from minced beef, goat,
lamb and mutton (especially meats around ribs and belly area). The minced fatty meats are wrapped by thin fat or muscle membrane and wrapped around a bamboo skewer. The size of this satay is quite large, very similar to a Middle Eastern
kebab. After being grilled on charcoal, the meat is separated from the skewer, cut into bite-size chunks, then served in sweet soy sauce and ''merica'' (
pepper).
; Sate Bulayak: Beef satay with spicy soupy sauce from
Lombok. It is eaten with rice cake called ''bulayak''.
; Sate Gajih: Beef fat satay popular in
Yogyakarta
Yogyakarta is the capital city of the Special Region of Yogyakarta in Indonesia, in the south-central part of the island of Java. As the only Indonesian royal city still ruled by Hamengkubuwono, a monarchy, Yogyakarta is regarded as an importan ...
, especially in
Beringharjo Market. The fat satay is seasoned with sweet soy sauce and considered as snack since it is commonly served without any rice or additional sauces.
; Sate Jando: A specialty dish from
Bandung
Bandung is the capital city of the West Java province of Indonesia. Located on the island of Java, the city is the List of Indonesian cities by population, fourth-most populous city and fourth largest city in Indonesia after Jakarta, Surabay ...
, this satay is made from cow's breast fat.
; Sate Kenul: Cubed beef satay smeared with grated coconut and spices made of turmeric, ginger, cumin, garlic, pepper, salt and coriander. It is a specialty dish from
Nganjuk.
; Sate Klopo: Lit: Coconut Satay, the beef is wrapped in coconut processed spices and then grilled. It is delicacy from
Surabaya.
; Sate Komoh/Komo: Beef satay from
East Java. Diced beef is sautéed with ''
bumbu'' before grilling.
; Sate Kuah: Lit: Soupy Satay, beef satay served in creamy and spicy ''kuah'' soup akin to
soto. Sate kuah can be found in
Betawi cuisine of Jakarta and also in
Pontianak, Western Kalimantan. The Jakarta version sate kuah soup base is akin to Betawi's soto tangkar, since sate kuah was a variant of soto tangkar created in 1960s. Thus usually the seller offers both sate kuah and soto tangkar. The serving method are either grilled beef satay are dipped into soto soup, or the satay meat are stripped from the skewers and put into the soto soup. Compared to soto meat soup, sate kuah has smoky aroma due to grilling process. The Pontianak version sate kuah is smeared with peanut sauce, doused with spiced broth, and sprinkled with spring onion and calamansi juice.
; Sate Lembut: A rare satay recipe of the
Betawi people. It is can be found in Jalan Kebon Kacang,
Central Jakarta
Central Jakarta (, ), abbreviated as Jakpus, is one of the five Cities of Indonesia, administrative cities () and ''de facto'' Capital City of the Jakarta, Special Capital Region of Jakarta. It had 902,973 inhabitants according to the 2010 census ...
. The satay is made from minced beef mixed with shredded coconut and spices, wrapped around a flat bamboo skewer. Usually eaten with ''
ketupat laksa betawi'' (Betawi style Laksa with ketupat glutinous compressed rice).
; Sate Manis: Also a speciality from the
Betawi people. It is also can be found in Jalan Kebon Kacang,
Central Jakarta
Central Jakarta (, ), abbreviated as Jakpus, is one of the five Cities of Indonesia, administrative cities () and ''de facto'' Capital City of the Jakarta, Special Capital Region of Jakarta. It had 902,973 inhabitants according to the 2010 census ...
. The satay is made from slices of ''has dalam'' (
tenderloin) the finest part of beef, marinated with sweet spices. Usually eaten with
ketupat laksa betawi.

; Sate Maranggi: Commonly found in
Purwakarta and
Cianjur
Cianjur () is a town and district in the West Java province of Indonesia, and is the regency seat, seat of Cianjur Regency. The district of Cianjur is located along one of the main roads between Jakarta (120 km to the northwest) and Bandung ...
, the cities in
West Java
West Java (, ) is an Indonesian Provinces of Indonesia, province on the western part of the island of Java, with its provincial capital in Bandung. West Java is bordered by the province of Banten and the country's capital region of Jakarta to t ...
, this satay is made from beef marinated in a special paste. The two most important elements of the paste are ''kecombrang'' (''
Nicolaia speciosa'') flower buds and ''ketan'' (sweet rice) flour. Nicola buds bring a unique aroma and a liquorice-like taste. The satay is served in sweet soy sauce with ''acar'' pickles. It is served with ketan cake (''jadah'') or plain rice.
; Sate Matang: A satay variant from Matang Geulumpang Dua,
Bireun,
Aceh
Aceh ( , ; , Jawi script, Jawoë: ; Van Ophuijsen Spelling System, Old Spelling: ''Atjeh'') is the westernmost Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia. It is located on the northern end of Sumatra island, with Banda Aceh being its capit ...
. This satay is made from beef, usually served with peanut sauce and
soto or soup separately.
; Sate Rembiga: Beef satay from
Lombok. The basic seasoning for the satay is chili. However, it is also given some additional spices, such as tamarind, brown sugar, onions, coriander, and candlenut. It is usually eaten with rice cake,
plecing kangkung, and beef bone soup.
; Sate Sapi: Beef satay, served in sweet soy sauce and peanut sauce. Specialty of
Jepara town in Central Java.
; Sate Susu: Literally it means "milky satay", however it contains no milk, the term ''susu'' is actually refer to cow's breast or
udder. This dish that can be found in
Java
Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea (a part of Pacific Ocean) to the north. With a population of 156.9 million people (including Madura) in mid 2024, proje ...
and
Bali
Bali (English:; Balinese language, Balinese: ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller o ...
, is made from grilled spicy beef udder, served with hot chilli sauce.
; Sate Tambulinas: Spiced beef satay from
Sulawesi
Sulawesi ( ), also known as Celebes ( ), is an island in Indonesia. One of the four Greater Sunda Islands, and the List of islands by area, world's 11th-largest island, it is situated east of Borneo, west of the Maluku Islands, and south of Min ...
. Tambulinas satay do not use peanut sauce or soy sauce, it is marinated in spice mixture containing ground chilli pepper, ginger, lemongrass, shallot and garlic, and served with juice of kaffir lime.
Other red meats
; ''
Sate kambing'': Goat satay, a variant of satay popular in
Java
Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea (a part of Pacific Ocean) to the north. With a population of 156.9 million people (including Madura) in mid 2024, proje ...
, made with goat,
lamb or mutton meat. Different from other satays, ''sate kambing'' (lamb satay) is not usually pre-seasoned or pre-cooked. Raw lamb, mutton, and goat is skewered and grilled directly on the charcoal. It is then served with
sweet soy sauce (''kecap manis''), sliced shallots, and cut-up tomatoes. Since the meat is not pre-cooked, it is important to use young lamb. The best vendors use lamb under three to five months old. Lamb from goat is also more popular than lamb from sheep due to milder flavor.
; ''Sate kerbau'':
Water buffalo
The water buffalo (''Bubalus bubalis''), also called domestic water buffalo, Asian water buffalo and Asiatic water buffalo, is a large bovid originating in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Today, it is also kept in Italy, the Balkans ...
satay, a variant of satay popular in
Kudus, where most Muslim believed that it is forbidden to eat beef to respect the Hindus. This satay is made with water buffalo meat. The meat is cooked first with palm sugar, coriander, cumin, and other seasoning until very tender. Some vendor choose to even grind the meat first to make it really tender. It is then grilled on charcoal, and served with sauce made with
coconut milk, palm sugar, and other seasoning. Traditionally, satay kerbau is served on a plate covered with teak wood leaves.
; ''Sate klatak/klathak'': Goat satay with coconut milk soup from
Bantul Regency,
Yogyakarta
Yogyakarta is the capital city of the Special Region of Yogyakarta in Indonesia, in the south-central part of the island of Java. As the only Indonesian royal city still ruled by Hamengkubuwono, a monarchy, Yogyakarta is regarded as an importan ...
.
; ''Sate kronyos'': Breast of goat satay can be found in
Bantul Regency,
Yogyakarta
Yogyakarta is the capital city of the Special Region of Yogyakarta in Indonesia, in the south-central part of the island of Java. As the only Indonesian royal city still ruled by Hamengkubuwono, a monarchy, Yogyakarta is regarded as an importan ...
.
; ''Sate loso'': Water buffalo meat or sometimes replaced with beef satay, served in spicy chili peanut sauce. Specialty of
Pemalang, Central Java.
; ''Sate rusa'': Deer satay, a delicacy from
Merauke,
Papua. In
East Kalimantan, a satay dish made of
venison called ''sate payau''.
; ''Sate tegal'' (tegal satay): A sate of a yearling or five-month-old lamb; the nickname for this dish in Tegal is ''balibul'', an acronym of ''baru lima bulan'' (just five months). Each ''kodi'', or dish, contains twenty skewers, and each skewer has four chunks—two pieces of meat, one piece of fat and then another piece of meat. It is grilled over wood charcoal until it is cooked between medium and well done; however it is possible to ask for medium rare. Sometimes the fat piece can be replaced with liver or heart or kidney. This is not marinated prior to grilling. On serving, it is accompanied by sweet soya sauce (medium sweetness, slightly thinned with boiled water), sliced fresh chilli, sliced raw shallots (''eschalot''), quartered green tomatoes, and steamed rice, and is sometimes garnished with fried shallots.
Pork

; Sate babi (pork satay): Pork satay, popular among the
Indonesian Chinese community, most of whom do not share the
Muslim
Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
prohibition against pork. This dish can be found in Chinatowns in Indonesian cities, especially around Glodok, Pecenongan, and Senen in the
Jakarta
Jakarta (; , Betawi language, Betawi: ''Jakartè''), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta (; ''DKI Jakarta'') and formerly known as Batavia, Dutch East Indies, Batavia until 1949, is the capital and largest city of Indonesia and ...
area. It is also popular in
Bali
Bali (English:; Balinese language, Balinese: ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller o ...
where the majority are
Hindu
Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
s, it is also popular in Northern Sulawesi, Northern Tapanuli, and Nias, where most people are Christians, and also popular in the Netherlands.
; Sate plecing: Satay made with variety of grilled meat most often pork, served with
sambal plecing, sauce made from chili, garlic, onion, tomatoes, and shrimp paste, popular in
Balinese cuisine.
; Sate ragey: Pork satay popular in
Minahasan cuisine. The size is bigger than the common pork satay. It is combined of pork meat and the fat. It can be easily found in
Tomohon,
North Sulawesi
North Sulawesi () is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia. It is mainly located on the Minahasa Peninsula of the island of Sulawesi, south of the Philippines and southeast of Sabah, Malaysia, but also includes various small archipel ...
.
Fish and seafood
; Sate Ikan Tuhuk:
Blue marlin Satay, a delicacy from ,
Lampung.
; Sate Ikan Pari:
Stingray Satay, a satay dish from
Tana Tidung Regency,
North Kalimantan.
;
Sate Bandeng:
Milkfish Satay, from
Banten
Banten (, , Pegon alphabet, Pegon: بنتن) is the westernmost Provinces of Indonesia, province on the island of Java, Indonesia. Its capital city is Serang and its largest city is Tangerang. The province borders West Java and the Special Capi ...
. It is a satay made from boneless ''bandeng'' (
milkfish). The seasoned spicy milkfish meat is separated from the small bones, then placed back into the milkfish skin, clipped by a bamboo stick, and grilled over charcoal.
; Sate Belut:
Eel Satay, another
Lombok rare delicacy. It is made from ''belut'', (lit.
eel) commonly found in watery rice paddies in Indonesia. A seasoned eel is skewered and wrapped around each skewer, then grilled over charcoal fire, so each skewer contains an individual small eel.
; Sate Gurita:
Octopus satay, a specialty dish from
Sabang.
; Sate Kepiting:
Crab
Crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura (meaning "short tailed" in Greek language, Greek), which typically have a very short projecting tail-like abdomen#Arthropoda, abdomen, usually hidden entirely under the Thorax (arthropo ...
Satay. In
Langkat Regency of
North Sumatera, the crab's outer shell is removed and the crab is fried in flour mixed with ''
bumbu'' and then skewered.
; Sate Kerang:
Shellfish satay,
cockle Satay or
clam satay. The most popular variant of sate kerang is from
Medan,
North Sumatra
North Sumatra () is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia located in the northern part of the island of Sumatra. Its capital and largest city is Medan on the east coast of the island. It borders Aceh to the northwest, Riau to the sou ...
, it is rich spicy cooked shellfish in skewer and often become ''oleh-oleh'' (
souvenir) for visitors visiting Medan. In Java, sate kerang it is mildly marinated and boiled, also served as a side-dish to accompany soto. In
Southeast Sulawesi, ''sate pokea'' is made of ''pokea'' clam or ''Batissa violacea var. celebensis'' and the satay is smeared with peanut sauce and eaten with ''
burasa'' or ''gogos''.
; Sate Tanjung: Fish satay from
Lombok. It is made from fish meat which is smeared with spices consisting of coconut milk and spices. The fish used in this satay are usually skipjack tuna and giant trevally.
; Sate Temburung:
Telescope snail Satay, a dish from
North Kalimantan.
;
Sate Tuna:
Tuna Satay, a specialty satay from
Gorontalo.

; Sate Udang:
Shrimp
A shrimp (: shrimp (American English, US) or shrimps (British English, UK)) is a crustacean with an elongated body and a primarily Aquatic locomotion, swimming mode of locomotion – typically Decapods belonging to the Caridea or Dendrobranchi ...
Satay that uses large shrimps or prawns, shelled and cleaned and often with the tails off and lightly grilled. Some recipes call for a marinade of thick coconut milk with ''sambal'' (chili paste), powdered ''laos'' (galangal root), ground ''kemiri'' (candlenut, one can substitute macadamia nuts in a pinch), minced shallots and pressed garlic. One can add salt to taste. Shrimp satay seldom served with the peanut sauce so popular with other satays, because it might overpower a delicate shrimp flavour.
; Sate Ubur-Ubur:
Jellyfish
Jellyfish, also known as sea jellies or simply jellies, are the #Life cycle, medusa-phase of certain gelatinous members of the subphylum Medusozoa, which is a major part of the phylum Cnidaria. Jellyfish are mainly free-swimming marine animal ...
Satay. It is a specialty dish from Temajuk Village in
Sambas Regency,
West Kalimantan.
Offals
; Sate Ampet: Another
Lombok delicacy. It is made from beef, cow's intestines and other cow's internal organs. The sauce for ''sate ampet'' is hot and spicy, which is no surprise since the island's name, ''lombok merah'', means red chili. The sauce is ''santan'' (
coconut milk) and spices.
; Sate Babat:
Tripe satay. Mildly marinated and mostly boiled than grilled, usually served as a side-dish to accompany
soto.
; Sate Burung Ayam-ayaman: Bird Satay, the satay is made from gizzard,
liver
The liver is a major metabolic organ (anatomy), organ exclusively found in vertebrates, which performs many essential biological Function (biology), functions such as detoxification of the organism, and the Protein biosynthesis, synthesis of var ...
, and
intestines of ''burung ayam-ayaman'' (
watercock). After being seasoned with mild spices and stuck on a skewer, this bird's internal organs are not grilled, but are deep fried in cooking oil instead.
; Sate Hati:
Liver
The liver is a major metabolic organ (anatomy), organ exclusively found in vertebrates, which performs many essential biological Function (biology), functions such as detoxification of the organism, and the Protein biosynthesis, synthesis of var ...
Satay. There is two types of liver satays, cattle liver (goat or cow) and chicken liver satay. The cattle liver made by diced whole liver, while the chicken liver satay is made from mixture of chicken liver,
gizzard, and
intestines. Usually gizzard is placed on the bottom, intestine on the center and liver or heart on the top. After seasoning, the internal organs are not fried or grilled, but are boiled instead. It is not treated as a main dish, but often as a side dish to accompany ''
bubur ayam'' (chicken rice
porridge).
; Sate Kikil: Cow skin satay from
Java
Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea (a part of Pacific Ocean) to the north. With a population of 156.9 million people (including Madura) in mid 2024, proje ...
, this satay is made from boiled cow skin, skewered and seasoned either in spicy peanut sauce or yellow sauce.
; Sate Makassar: From a region in Southern
Sulawesi
Sulawesi ( ), also known as Celebes ( ), is an island in Indonesia. One of the four Greater Sunda Islands, and the List of islands by area, world's 11th-largest island, it is situated east of Borneo, west of the Maluku Islands, and south of Min ...
, this satay is made from beef and cow offal marinated in sour
carambola sauce. It has a unique sour and spicy taste. Unlike most satays, it is served without sauce.

;
Sate Padang: A dish from
Padang and the surrounding area in
Western Sumatra, which is made from cow or goat
offal
Offal (), also called variety meats, pluck or organ meats, is the internal organ (anatomy), organs of a butchered animal. Offal may also refer to the by-products of Milling (grinding), milled grains, such as corn or wheat.
Some cultures strong ...
and meat boiled in spicy broth then grilled. Its main characteristic is a yellow sauce made from rice flour mixed with spicy offal broth, turmeric, ginger, garlic, coriander,
galangal
Galangal () is a rhizome of plants in the ginger family Zingiberaceae, with culinary and medicinal uses originating in Indonesia. It is one of four species in the genus ''Alpinia'', and is known for its pungent, aromatic flavor. Greater gal ...
root,
cumin, curry powder and salt. It is further separated into two sub-variants, the
Pariaman and the
Padang Panjang, which differ in taste and the composition of their yellow sauces.
; Sate Paru: Beef lung satay.
; Sate Torpedo:
Testicles satay. Satay made from goat testicles marinated in soy sauce and grilled. It is eaten with peanut sauce, pickles, and hot white rice.
; Sate Usus: Chicken
intestine satay. This mildly marinated satay is usually fried, also as a side-dish to accompany
bubur ayam.
Mixture

; Sate Kalong: A satay dish from
Cirebon. The word ''kalong'' (bat) does not mean the satay used bat meat but because the food is sold in the evening. This satay is made from minced water buffalo, which is mixed with spices, and palm sugar and dipped into buffalo broth, it is then grilled on charcoal. The peanut sauce mixed with
oncom.
;
Sate Lilit: A satay variant from
Balinese cuisine. This satay is made from minced pork, chicken, fish, beef, or even turtle meat, which is then mixed with grated coconut, thick coconut milk, lemon juice, shallots, and pepper. Wound around bamboo, sugar cane or lemon grass sticks, it is then grilled on charcoal.
; Sate Pusut: A delicacy from
Lombok, the neighbouring island east of
Bali
Bali (English:; Balinese language, Balinese: ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller o ...
. It is made from a mixture of minced meat (beef, chicken, or fish), shredded
coconut
The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family (biology), family (Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, ...
meat, and spices. The mixture then is wrapped around a skewer and grilled over charcoal.
Eggs and vegetarian
; Sate Aci: The satay is made from
tapioca starch batter.
; Sate Jengkol:
Jengkol satay.
; Sate Jamur: Mushroom satay. It is usually made from
oyster mushroom.
; Sate Kere: Lit: Poorman's satay. A cheap vegetarian satay made from grounded
tempe from
Solo
Solo or SOLO may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Characters
* Han Solo, a ''Star Wars'' character
* Jacen Solo, a Jedi in the non-canonical ''Star Wars Legends'' continuity
* Kylo Ren (Ben Solo), a ''Star Wars'' character
* Napoleon Solo, fr ...
city, served in peanut sauce and pickles. There are two kinds of
tempe: the most popular is made from soybean, and the second is made from the side product material of tofu production (called ''tempe gembus''). Sate Kere is usually made from ''tempe gembus''. The word ''kere'' in the
Javanese language
Javanese ( , , ; , Aksara Jawa, Javanese script: , Pegon script, Pegon: , IPA: ) is an Austronesian languages, Austronesian language spoken primarily by the Javanese people from the central and eastern parts of the island of Java, Indones ...
means "poor"; it originally was meant to provide the poor people of Java with the taste of satay at an affordable price, since meat was considered a luxury. Although originally it was only vegetarian tempeh, today, ''sate kere'' also includes intestine, liver, and beef satays mixed with tempeh ones. The materials are pre-cooked in ''baceman'' before being grilled, then served with peanut sauce.
; Sate Pencok: The satay from
Lombok is made from
sago
Sago () is a starch extracted from the pith, or spongy core tissue, of various tropical palm stems, especially those of ''Metroxylon sagu''. It is a major staple food for the lowland peoples of New Guinea and the Maluku Islands, where it is c ...
starch. It is smeared with ''pelalah'' sauce.
; Sate Tahu: Lit: Tofu Satay. A specialty from
Ponorogo. Tofu is soaked first with ''bacem'' seasoning before being grilled on a clay kiln.

; Sate Telur Muda: Young egg satay. This satay is made from premature chicken egg (''uritan'') obtained upon slaughtering the hens. The immature eggs that have not developed the
eggshell
An eggshell is the outer covering of a hard-shelled egg (biology), egg and of some forms of eggs with soft outer coats.
Worm eggs
Nematode eggs present a two layered structure: an external vitellin layer made of chitin that confers mechanical ...
yet are boiled and put onto skewers to be grilled as satay. The ''telur muda'' or ''uritan'' is often cooked on the same skewer as chicken skin satay, and mixed with chicken satay. This kind of satay is also usually served as a side dish to accompany
bubur ayam.
; Sate Telur Puyuh:
Quail eggs satay. Several hard-boiled quail eggs are put into skewers, marinated in sweet soy sauce with spices, and boiled further also served as a side dish for soto.
Others
; Sate Bebek: Duck satay, a specialty dish from
Cilegon,
Banten
Banten (, , Pegon alphabet, Pegon: بنتن) is the westernmost Provinces of Indonesia, province on the island of Java, Indonesia. Its capital city is Serang and its largest city is Tangerang. The province borders West Java and the Special Capi ...
and
Banyumas.
; Sate Blengong: The satay is made from ''Blengong'' meat, an animal that is the result of crossbreeding between ducks and
muscovy ducks or locals called ''menthok''. It is a delicacy of
Brebes.
; Sate Bulus: Turtle satay, another rare delicacy from
Yogyakarta
Yogyakarta is the capital city of the Special Region of Yogyakarta in Indonesia, in the south-central part of the island of Java. As the only Indonesian royal city still ruled by Hamengkubuwono, a monarchy, Yogyakarta is regarded as an importan ...
. It is a satay made from freshwater ''bulus'' (
softshell turtle
Trionychidae is a family of turtles, commonly known as softshell turtles or simply softshells. The family was described by Leopold Fitzinger in 1826. Softshells include some of the world's largest freshwater turtles, though many can adapt to li ...
). It is served with sliced fresh shallots (small red onion), pepper, and sweet soy sauce. Bulus meat is also served in soup or
tongseng (Javanese style spicy-sweet soup).
; Sate Kelinci: Rabbit meat Satay, this variant of satay is made from rabbit meat, a delicacy from
Java
Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea (a part of Pacific Ocean) to the north. With a population of 156.9 million people (including Madura) in mid 2024, proje ...
. It is served with sliced fresh shallots (small red onion), peanut sauce, and sweet soy sauce. Rabbit satay usually can be found in mountainous tourist region in Java where locals breed rabbit for its meat, such as
Lembang in
West Java
West Java (, ) is an Indonesian Provinces of Indonesia, province on the western part of the island of Java, with its provincial capital in Bandung. West Java is bordered by the province of Banten and the country's capital region of Jakarta to t ...
,
Kaliurang in
Yogyakarta
Yogyakarta is the capital city of the Special Region of Yogyakarta in Indonesia, in the south-central part of the island of Java. As the only Indonesian royal city still ruled by Hamengkubuwono, a monarchy, Yogyakarta is regarded as an importan ...
, Bandungan and Tawangmangu resort in
Central Java, also Telaga Sarangan in
East Java.

; Sate Keong: Freshwater snail Satay. This kind of satay is also served as a side dish of
pecel. In
Minahasan cuisine, ''sate keong'' is grilled and smeared with spicy sambal and it is called ''sate kolombi''.
; Sate Kuda: Horse meat Satay. Locally known in Javanese as ''sate jaran'', this is made from horse meat, a delicacy from
Yogyakarta
Yogyakarta is the capital city of the Special Region of Yogyakarta in Indonesia, in the south-central part of the island of Java. As the only Indonesian royal city still ruled by Hamengkubuwono, a monarchy, Yogyakarta is regarded as an importan ...
. It is served with sliced fresh shallots (small red onion), pepper, and sweet soy sauce.
; Sate Ular: Snake Satay, a rare and exotic delicacy usually founds in foodstalls specialise on serving exotic reptile meats like snakes and ''biawak'' (monitor lizards), such as the one founds near Gubeng train station in
Surabaya, or near Mangga Besar and Tebet train station in Jakarta. It usually uses ''ular sendok'' (
cobra) or ''sanca'' (
python) meat. It is served with sliced fresh shallots (small red onion), pickles, pepper, and sweet soy sauce.
; Sate Ulat Sagu: Sago caterpillar satay from
Papua,
Kalimantan
Kalimantan (; ) is the Indonesian portion of the island of Borneo. It constitutes 73% of the island's area, and consists of the provinces of Central Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, North Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, and West Kalimantan. The non-Ind ...
, and
Sulawesi
Sulawesi ( ), also known as Celebes ( ), is an island in Indonesia. One of the four Greater Sunda Islands, and the List of islands by area, world's 11th-largest island, it is situated east of Borneo, west of the Maluku Islands, and south of Min ...
.
Malaysia

Known as ''sate'' in Malay (and pronounced similarly to the English "satay"), it can be found throughout all the states of Malaysia in restaurants and on the street, with hawkers selling satay in food courts and
Pasar malam. While the popular kinds of satay are usually beef and chicken satays, different regions of Malaysia have developed their own unique variations. Sate is often associated with Muslim Malays, but pork sate is also available at non-halal Chinese eating establishments.
There are a number of well-known satay outlets in
Kajang, a city in Selangor closely associated with satays. ''Sate Kajang'' is a generic name for a style of sate where the meat chunks are bigger than normal, and the sweet peanut sauce served along with a portion of fried chilli paste. Given its popularity, sate Kajang is now found throughout Malaysia. Stalls and restaurants around Kajang offer not only the more traditional chicken or beef satay, but also more exotic meats such as venison, rabbit or fish, as well as gizzard, liver, and a number of other variations.
Another type of meat satay is the ''sate lok-lok'' from
Penang and ''sate celup'' (dip satay) from
Malacca. Both are Malaysian Chinese fusions of the hotpot and the Malay satay. Pieces of raw meat, tofu, century eggs, quail eggs, fish cake, offal or vegetables are skewered on bamboo sticks. These are cooked by being dipped in boiling water or stock. The satay is then eaten with a sweet, dark sauce, sometimes with chilli sauce as an accompaniment. If the satay is eaten with satay sauce, it is called sate lok-lok. If the satay is cooked with boiling satay peanut sauce, it is called sate celup. Both dishes are available from street vendors or in certain restaurants, and the majority are not halal. Customers use a common container containing boiling stock to personally cook their satay. Sauces are either served in common containers or individually. There are usually no tables near street vendors, and customers thus tend to gather around the food cart.
Satay gula apong is a chicken or buffalo meat satay. It is a satay made with rare nipah palm sugar called sarawak gula apong. This rare satay can only be found in Linggi, Negeri Sembilan in Malaysia. It is served with sliced fresh cucumber and peanut sauce.
Netherlands

Known as ''saté'' or ''sateh'', it is fully adapted in Dutch everyday cuisine. Owing to their shared colonial history, satay is an Indonesian food that has become an integral part of Dutch cuisine. Pork and chicken satays are almost solely served with spicy peanut sauce and called ''een sateetje'', and are readily available in snackbars and supermarkets. Versions with goat-meat (''sateh kambing'') and sweet soy sauce are available in Indonesian restaurants and take-aways. Pork or chicken satay in peanut sauce, with salad and French-fries, is popular in pubs or ''eetcafés''. With Indonesian take-away meals like ''nasi goreng speciaal'', the special part is often a couple of sate-sticks. Another favourite in Dutch snackbars is the ''satékroket'', a
croquette made with a peanut sauce and shredded meat
ragout. In addition, 'saté' sauce or peanut sauce has become one of the standard options as a condiment to accompany a portion of fries bought in a snackbar (besides
mayonnaise
Mayonnaise (), colloquially referred to as "mayo" (), is a thick, creamy sauce with a rich and tangy taste that is commonly used on sandwiches, hamburgers, Salad#Bound salads, bound salads, and French fries. It also forms the base for various o ...
,
ketchup,
curry-ketchup, '
joppiesaus' or a combination). Fries with satay sauce is commonly known as ''patatje pinda'' ('fries peanut') and fries with satay sauce, mayonaise and chopped unions is called ''patatje oorlog'' ('fries war').
Philippines

Satay proper is known as ''satti'' in the Southern Philippines (
Mindanao
Mindanao ( ) is the List of islands of the Philippines, second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and List of islands by population, seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the ...
). It is common in the regions of
Zamboanga,
Sulu Archipelago
The Sulu Archipelago ( Tausug: Kapū'-pūan sin Sūg Sulat Sūg: , ) is a chain of islands in the Pacific Ocean, in the southwestern Philippines. The archipelago forms the northern limit of the Celebes Sea and southern limit of the Sulu Se ...
and
Tawi-Tawi, which acquired satay from its proximity to
Malaysia
Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...
. ''Satti'' usually only has three small strips of roasted meat on a stick. ''Satti'' is usually made from chicken or beef among
Muslim Filipinos,
but it can also be made with pork or liver. It is particularly popular in
Tausug cuisine and is commonly eaten as breakfast in restaurants which specialise in ''satti''. It is typically served with ''
ta'mu'' (''pusô'' in other Philippine languages) and a bowlful of warm peanut-based sauce.
In the majority of the Philippines, a similar (but native) dish to satay usually made with pork or chicken is referred to as
inihaw or
inasal, or by the generic English name "barbecue" (usually shortened to "BBQ").
It is usually served glazed in a sweet-soy sauce marinade reminiscent of
yakitori. Despite the native origins of inasal and inihaw, the English association of "barbecue" is the source of names for other popular street foods that are also served skewered, such as
banana cue ("banana" + "barbecue") and
camote cue ("''
camote'' (sweet potato) + barbecue").
[Overseas Pinoy Cooking.Net](_blank)
website. Retrieved 6 November 2010
Offal-based versions of inihaw are also commonly sold in the Philippines as street food. The most popular are made from chicken or pork intestines known as ''
isaw''. Other variants use liver,
tripe, lungs, chicken heads and feet,
cubes of coagulated pork blood, and pork ears, among others.
Annatto seeds and
banana ketchup-based sauces are also widely used which gives the meat a vibrant orange or red color.
Singapore
In Singapore, satay is sold by Chinese, Malay and Indian Muslim vendors. It is thought to have originated in Java and brought to Singapore by Muslim traders.
Satay is one of the earliest foods that became ubiquitous in Singapore since the 1940s, and was considered a celebratory food.
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 open air or "al fresco" dining concept, the Satay Club defined how satay is served in Singapore since then, although they are also found across the island in most hawker stalls, modern food courts, and upscale restaurants at any time of the day. Moved several times around 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. While the name has been transferred to the Clarke Quay site, several stalls from the original Satay club have moved to
Sembawang
Sembawang ( ) is a Planning Areas of Singapore, planning area and New towns of Singapore, residential town located in the North Region, Singapore, North Region of Singapore. Sembawang planning area is bordered by Simpang to the east, Mandai to t ...
in the north of the city. The satay stalls at the
Lau Pa Sat area are notable for its popularity. "Satay Street" in
Boon Tat Street, introduced in 1996, centers around 10 hawkers who sell satay. Served only at night after 7pm when the street is closed to vehicular traffic and the stalls and tables occupy the street, it mimics the open-air dining style of previous establishments. It is said to evoke the nostalgic feeling of Singaporean street food culture from the 1950s and 1960s, and is considered to be the last Satay Club in Singapore.
Other notable outlets include Satay by the Bay at the
Gardens by the Bay
The Gardens by the Bay (GBTB) is an urban park spanning in the Central Region, Singapore, Central Region of Singapore, adjacent to the Marina Reservoir. The park consists of three waterfront gardens: Bay South Garden in Marina South, Bay East ...
tourist attraction. It is styled after the old Satay Club.
Peanut sauce is used in Singaporean satays, Malay satay is quite similar to Indonesian satay by using ''kecap manis'' (sweet soy sauce), while Chinese Hainan satay uses pineapple
purée sauce and marinated in
five-spice powder.
The common types of satay sold in Singapore include ''Satay Ayam'' (chicken satay), ''Satay Lembu'' (beef satay), ''Satay Kambing'' (
mutton satay), ''Satay Perut'' (beef intestine), and ''Satay Babat'' (beef tripe).
Singapore's national carrier,
Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines (abbreviation: SIA or SQ) is the flag carrier of Singapore with its Airline hub, hub located at Changi Airport. Considered to be one of the world's best carriers, the airline is ranked as a 5-star airline as well as ranked ...
, also serves satay to its
First and Business Class (previously known as Raffles Class) passengers as an
appetiser.
Sri Lanka
''Sathe'' as it is known in Sri Lanka is a
Sri Lankan Malay dish that has become a staple of the country's diet.
''Sathe'' is served with peanut and chili sauce.
It is sometimes called ''sate daging'' by the country's Malay community.
Thailand

Satay (, , ) is a popular dish in Thailand; a key feature of Thai satay is the inclusion of pork as a meat option. Usually served with peanut sauce and
''achat'', Thai satay have various recipes, beyond the popular versions of chicken, beef, and pork: a version made with mussels is called ''hoi malaeng phu'', while vegetarian variants employ soy protein strips or tofu.
Satay can easily be found in virtually any Thai restaurant worldwide. Because
Thai cuisine is heavily marketed internationally and attracted world culinary attention earlier than other Southeast Asian cuisines, there is a widespread misconception abroad that satay originated from Thailand. As a result, it is most frequently associated with Thai food in the Western world.
For example, in the United States, satay is said to be one of America's favourite Thai dishes.
The first satay restaurant in Thailand was in front of Chaloem Buri Theater near the
Chaloem Buri Intersection in the
Yaowarat neighborhood
A neighbourhood (Commonwealth English) or neighborhood (American English) is a geographically localized community within a larger town, city, suburb or rural area, sometimes consisting of a single street and the buildings lining it. Neigh ...
. Now it is on
Rama IV Road near
Lumphini MRT station and has been for more than 50 years.
Fusion satay
Traditionally, satay referred to any grilled skewered meats with various sauces; it is not necessarily served solely with peanut sauce. However, since the most popular variant of satay is chicken satay in peanut sauce (''Sate Madura'' in Indonesia), in modern
fusion cuisine the term "satay" has shifted to satay style peanut sauce instead.
For example, the fusion "satay burger" refers to
beef hamburger served with so-called "satay sauce", which is mainly a kind of sweet and spicy peanut sauce or often replaced with gloppy
peanut butter
Peanut butter is a food Paste (food), paste or Spread (food), spread made from Grinding (abrasive cutting), ground, dry roasting, dry-roasted peanuts. It commonly contains additional ingredients that modify the taste or texture, such as salt, ...
. The Singapore
satay bee hoon is actually rice vermicelli served in peanut sauce. The American-Thai fusion fish fillet in satay sauce also demonstrates the same trend. The fusion
French cuisine
French cuisine is the cooking traditions and practices of France. In the 14th century, Guillaume Tirel, a Court (royal), court chef known as "Taillevent", wrote ''Le Viandier'', one of the earliest recipe collections of medieval France. In ...
''Cuisses de Grenouilles Poelees au Satay, Chou-fleur Croquant'' is actually
frog legs in peanut sauce. The
Indomie instant noodle
Instant noodles, or instant ramen, is a type of food consisting of noodles sold in a precooked and dried block with flavoring powder and/or seasoning oil. The dried noodle block was originally created by Deep frying, flash-frying cooked noodles, ...
is also available in satay flavour, which is only the addition of peanut sauce in its packet. In Hong Kong, satay sauce is usually served with
instant noodles and stir-fried beef. This dish is most often eaten for breakfast.
In culture
Satay belongs to the informal ethnocultural symbols of Indonesia. Its appears on Indonesian postage stamps, in tourist brochures, information and advertising materials dedicated to this country, and is often played up by Indonesian participants in various cultural and entertainment events held abroad to create a national flavor. For example, the Indonesian model Aurra Kharisma performed in 2021 at the
Miss Grand International beauty pageant in a suit with satay images and a headdress decorated with several bundles of satay meat skewers.
In some parts of Indonesia, certain types of satay are attributed with different symbolic meanings. Especially
Bali
Bali (English:; Balinese language, Balinese: ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller o ...
stands out: the popular on this island
satay lilit—minced sausages stuck on
lemongrass stalks—is considered there a symbol of several virtues and benefits at once: male prowess, unity and prosperity.
The Balinese attribute the embodiment of the weapons of various
Hindu deities and mythological heroes to other local types of satay.
In
Bandung
Bandung is the capital city of the West Java province of Indonesia. Located on the island of Java, the city is the List of Indonesian cities by population, fourth-most populous city and fourth largest city in Indonesia after Jakarta, Surabay ...
, the
West Java
West Java (, ) is an Indonesian Provinces of Indonesia, province on the western part of the island of Java, with its provincial capital in Bandung. West Java is bordered by the province of Banten and the country's capital region of Jakarta to t ...
Governor's office is popularly called
Gedung Sate () to refer the satay-like pinnacle on its roof.
See also
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References
External links
SatayRecording of an Indonesian sate seller in JakartaIndonesian chicken satay recipeIndonesian pork satay recipeBalinese chicken satay recipeSingapore chicken satay recipeThai chicken satay recipe
{{Authority control
Malaysian cuisine
Singaporean cuisine
Filipino cuisine
Thai cuisine
Javanese cuisine
Malay cuisine
Bruneian cuisine
Padang cuisine
Gorontalo cuisine
Dutch fusion cuisine
Indonesian snack foods
French fusion cuisine
Sri Lankan snack food
National dishes
Street food in Indonesia
Street food in Thailand
Street food