Taste Balikpapan’s unique and delicious specialties, from mantau bread to crab peyek, culinary delights that are perfect as souvenirs from this coastal city.
Balikpapan, a rapidly developing coastal city, is not only an industrial center, but also offers a variety of culinary delights that are worth trying.
Along with its status as a buffer city for the new capital, Balikpapan is increasingly visited by tourists and travelers who are also curious about the city’s specialties.
Balikpapan’s cuisine offers a unique taste, supported by natural wealth, especially its seafood. Here is a list of Typical Balikpapan Foods that are ready to pamper your tongue.
1. Mantau Bread
Roti mantau is one of Balikpapan’s most iconic dishes. Made from wheat flour, milk, sugar, and yeast, this bread has a soft texture with just the right amount of sweetness.
Balikpapan’s roti mantau is usually fried until golden brown, resulting in a crispy exterior while the inside remains soft. Mantau bread can be enjoyed with various toppings such as brown sugar, jam, or cheese. Served warm, this bread is the perfect accompaniment to coffee or tea.
2. Banana Gapit
Pisang gapit is a typical Balikpapan snack that uses kepok banana as its main ingredient. This banana is usually grilled or fried, then served with a thick brown sauce made from a mixture of brown sugar, coconut milk, and pieces of jackfruit.
The combination of the sweet taste of brown sugar, the softness of the banana, and the fragrant aroma of jackfruit creates a taste sensation that is hard to forget. Pisang gapit is often found in traditional markets or street vendors in Balikpapan.
3. Crab Floss
Crab floss is a unique culinary dish from Balikpapan made from crab meat that is ground, boiled, and fried until dry. The texture is crispy and savory with a delicious crab flavor.
This shredded meat can be enjoyed as a snack or as a complement to rice. The practical packaging of crab floss makes it suitable as a souvenir that is durable and easy to take home.
4. Scissors Porridge
Bubur Potong is a typical Balikpapan dish made from sticky rice flour. This sticky rice flour dough is mixed with pandan leaf water, a little salt, and lime water, then cut into small pieces and boiled with coconut milk and brown sugar.
Bubur Potong has a warm sweet taste and is very delicious when served while still warm. The green color of the pandan leaves makes the appearance of this porridge even more attractive.
5. Potato Bingka Cake
Bingka cake is a traditional snack typical of the Banjar tribe which was adopted and developed in Balikpapan. Bingka Potato Cake is made from mashed potatoes, mixed with wheat flour, sugar, and eggs.
The charcoal baking process creates a distinctive aroma and soft texture. Bingka Potato has flavor variants such as pandan, cheese, brown sugar, and chocolate. This cake is also a favorite choice for souvenirs.
6. Purple Sweet Potato Onde-onde
Balikpapan’s signature onde-onde is made from steamed and mashed purple sweet potato, then mixed with glutinous rice flour.
The skin of this onde-onde has a beautiful natural purple color, while the filling uses soft green beans. The sprinkling of sesame on the surface gives a crunchy texture that pampers the tongue. The sweet and savory taste of this onde-onde makes it a delicious and filling snack.
7. Amplang
Amplang is a cracker made from fish mixed with sago flour, resulting in a crunchy and savory texture. Amplang has various flavors, such as original, onion, black pepper, and even cheese or BBQ flavors.
The distinctive fish aroma of amplang is very strong and can be felt in every bite, making it one of those snacks that is hard to stop enjoying. Amplang Balikpapan is very suitable as a souvenir for the family at home.
8. Seafood Grilled Rice
Seafood grilled rice is a dish that reflects the richness of Balikpapan’s seafood. This rice is cooked with spices and then wrapped in banana leaves, creating a fragrant aroma when grilled.
Inside there is a mixture of seafood such as fish, shrimp and crab which have been seasoned to perfection. Every bite of this seafood grilled rice offers a savory and delicious taste that is hard to resist.
9. Iron Chips
Iron chips are crispy snacks made from cassava with a special processing process. The cassava used has a unique texture; when fried or boiled, it has the right hardness, but when processed into chips, it becomes very crispy and savory.
Iron chips are suitable as a meal companion or just a light snack and are usually sold in easy-to-carry packaging.
10. Crab Crackers
In addition to shredded meat, crab peyek is another processed crab meat that is quite popular in Balikpapan. This peyek has a savory and crunchy taste with a distinctive crab aroma.
The size is small and practical so it can be eaten directly in one bite. The savory and crispy taste of this crab peyek makes it a favorite among tourists, and many make it a souvenir from Balikpapan.
Balikpapan, with all its culinary delights, is able to offer a unique culinary experience for anyone who comes to visit. Each of its specialties contains a special story and taste, making it an inseparable part of the identity of this growing city.
These dishes are a perfect representation of Typical East Kalimantan Food, offering a rich and flavorful experience that reflects the local culture and traditions.