What is Rujak cingur?

Question

TasteAtlas · Accepted Answer

Rujak cingur is one of many versions of Indonesian rujak, a fruit salad which consists of different tropical fruits, usually served with a spicy and sweet dressing. Rujak cingur is a unique variety, because apart from fruits, it also incorporates vegetables and a rare ingredient – beef snout.

This chewy, gelatinous meat is a delicacy in East Javanese cuisine and provides a unique texture and depth that sets rujak cingur apart from all other salads in the Indonesian repertoire. The dish is a layered composition of raw and boiled vegetables such as cucumber, water spinach, bean sprouts, long beans, and young jackfruit, combined with tropical fruits like pineapple, unripe mango, or kedondong, creating a vibrant contrast between sweet, sour, crunchy, and soft elements.

What binds rujak cingur together is its extraordinary black sauce, a thick, pungent dressing made from fermented shrimp paste (petis), ground peanuts, palm sugar, garlic, chili, and tamarind, often pounded together with fried shallots and a hint of lime. Read more

It delivers an umami punch with sweet, spicy, and salty notes, enhanced by the distinctive funk of petis, which is darker and more intense than standard shrimp paste used elsewhere in Southeast Asia. The cingur, when mixed with the sauce, absorbs these powerful flavors while providing a tender resistance that plays against the crispness of the vegetables and fruit.

Traditionally, everything is mixed together using a cobek or stone mortar, ensuring the sauce coats every piece evenly. Often served with steamed rice or lontong (compressed rice cakes), rujak cingur is not just a dish but a cultural experience that embodies the fearless approach to flavor found in East Javanese cooking.

It challenges Western notions of what a salad should be and rewards those willing to embrace its aromatic complexity. For locals, it is both street food and ceremonial food, available at humble roadside stalls or as part of celebratory feasts.