Rendang lokan: history, symbol of cultural identity, and food adaptation of Minangkabau tribe in West Sumatra, Indonesia

Abstract

Rendang is a kind of food that has become one of cultural heritages of Minangkabau tribe. It is not only a local food that has been crowned the best food in the world by CNN, but it also serves as the cultural identity. Most of people think that rendang is only made from beef of buffalo meat. In fact, rendang has many varieties that relate to the types of the area and the local natural resources where it is cooked. West Sumatra consists of mountainous and coastal areas. One of the popular rendang varieties in coastal areas is Rendang Lokan—it is not made from beef but oyster (lokan). Rendang Lokan is a kind of food for people who live in this area. They use resources of the sea for their foods. Rendang, for Minangkabau tribe, is not only considered as a traditional food but also as a symbol of cultural identity from a certain area. This article is aimed at discussing the history of using Oyster as the main ingredient for rendang as one of the rendang varieties coming from the coastal areas in West Sumatra. The results show that rendang lokan is a representation of the characteristics of Minangkabau people who have the ability to adapt themselves to the local environmental conditions in maintaining their cultural identity. Rendang lokan was initially created as the adjustment of the Minangkabau people who live in the coastal areas to the local natural resources and their economic conditions.