KBRN, Jakarta: Culinary innovation continues to flourish in Indonesia, with bakso rujak emerging as a standout dish among adventurous food enthusiasts. This unique fusion combines savory meatballs and fresh fruits, all served in a spicy rujak-style sauce.

Bakso—Indonesian meatballs typically made from beef or chicken—is a beloved street food, while rujak is a traditional fruit salad featuring a mix of tropical fruits and vegetables tossed in a sweet, sour, and spicy palm sugar dressing.

Gita, the owner of Bakso Rujak Taman Kuburan in Jakarta’s Penggilingan area, conceived the idea after experimenting with her sister by combining their favorite ingredients: meatballs and fruit. The promising taste led them to refine the recipe and make it the stall’s signature offering.

A standard serving consists of three small meatballs and one large meatball, priced at Rp 20,000 (approximately USD 1.23). A double portion, which includes two large meatballs, is offered at Rp 26,000 (around USD 1.60).

On busy days, particularly weekends, the stall sells up to 100 portions. The dish stands out for its bold flavor profile, combining sour, spicy, sweet, and savory elements in one bite.

The sauce is made using authentic rujak seasoning and deliberately excludes sweet soy sauce, which is more common in conventional bakso dishes.

Gita admits she faces challenges sourcing seasonal fruits like water guava and ambarella. When these fruits are scarce, she goes the extra mile to find quality produce, sometimes venturing into markets farther from home.

Her customer base is diverse, spanning children to adults. Some even travel from neighboring cities such as Depok specifically to try the dish.

Despite being located near a cemetery, Gita emphasizes the hygiene of her ingredients and the cleanliness of the water used. The business, now in its third year, is run jointly with her sister. They are supported by one full-time employee and occasionally by a niece during busy hours.

Looking ahead, Gita plans to expand the business by opening branches in areas such as Bekasi and North Jakarta. She is currently raising capital and welcomes the public to visit Jalan Layar in Penggilingan, East Jakarta, to experience bakso rujak’s fresh and distinct taste firsthand. ***

Translator: Annaila Syafa Azzahra

Editor: Lasti Martina