Sulawesi is overlooked by most tourists that come to Indonesia in favor of the tourist islands of Bali and Lombok. However, for tourists that do decide to go to Sulawesi, there is a good chance you will pass through Makassar. Especially if you are planning on heading up into the highlands around Toraja. So what is there exactly to do in Makassar? Trip Advisor (a company that would rate going down to the bakery as a tourist attraction) lists five choices, while the culinary list involves such cultural highlights as KFC (really, an American chain restaurant? I wonder what the food there tastes like?). So faced with such lazy travel tips, I decided to come up with my own list of authentic local food you can try in the city.
Konro
People in Sulawesi love buffalo and Konro is one of the traditional dishes you should definitely try. It’s basically large chunky beef ribs that are cooked in a spicy soup. The broth is a combination of flavors with ginger, coriander and lime leaves all mixed together.
Coto
Coto takes over where Konro left off. This peanut soup contains all of the bits of the cow that most people forget about; the brains, the intestines, the stomach lining etc. Although it’s very tasty, it’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea.
Palubasa
Pallubasa is another Makassar favorite. This spicy coconut soup contains either fish or beef and is served just about everywhere. As you are in a port, I’d advise trying out the fish soup, although the beef is also very good.
Pisang Ijo
Banana wrapped in a thick layer of green sticky rice, floating in a bowel of condensed milk, ice and some kind of funny pink syrup; it sounds pretty odd and looks like something that should contain more e-numbers than has been consumed by the average hippy at a rave, but it’s a local delicacy.