Indonesian food is varied and rich in both flavor and texture. It is similar in many ways to Malay cooking. Different parts of Indonesia have different ways of preparing their food. An example is their famous soto, a spicy soup served with rice or lontong. Rich or mild, thick or thin, clear or dark and cloudy - each version of soto has its own appeal which makes the dish so popular among Indonesians.

When wandering around Indonesia's street stalls, it is possible to eat a full and satisfying meal comprising completely of 'starters' which are supplied by hawkers at their warungs or little makeshift places. The warungs may be nothing more than plastic sheets over a tiny area, protecting pots and stoves from tropical rain. Diners wait while the food is cooked freshly before them. When the food is ready the diners sit on a wooden stool beside the warung to eat.

Chicken and duck are the least expensive meats available in Indonesia, so Indonesians have drawn on all sorts of foreign-influenced recipes to make poultry presentable and tasty.

In Indonesia there are always a few chickens wandering around village houses, no matter how poor the household. Ducks are a bit more hard to obtain, but any of the following recipes can be prepared with duck if you happen to have bought one. Just allow a little more cooking time for duck.

Indonesians fry, saute, grill, stew or oven-bake chicken, the taste sensations differ with the cooking traditions from Java, Bali and Jakarta - and their wonderful spices. Whether in a curry or in coconut milk, or cooked Chinese-style with soy sauce, chicken is tasty, cheap and chock-a-block full of goodness, particularly if the skin is removed. Ayam goreng (fried chicken) is a national dish and is fairly easy to prepare.

Let's be frank; meat in Indonesia is not always the best. Beef usually comes from the water buffalo and it tends to be tough so Indonesians tend to boil or deep-fry it to tenderize it. These beef recipes have been adapted to allow for the availability of tender beef.

Indonesians regard beef as food with which to celebrate a special occasion. Beef is expensive and not usually part of the daily fare. Pork, on the other hand, is a big winner in Bali where it is popular with Hindus and Christians. Never serve a Muslim pork as it is against their religion to eat it. These dishes can be served with rice or noodles and vegetables to make a satisfying family meal. Otherwise one dish could make up part of your Indonesian dinner party with exciting Indonesian flavors.

Pontianak and Samarinda in Kalimantan have enormous river prawns while Jayapura offers Indonesia's best selection of barbecued fish. While the fish and seafood recipes to follow rely on fresh produce, many Indonesians rely on dried fish because of the lack of refrigeration in many communities.

Fresh fish is prepared in so many ways. It may be grilled or barbecued over charcoals, wrapped in a banana leaf (or foil in your home kitchen) and baked, be it tuna, carp, mullet, bream or bass. Shellfish comes in the form of garlic-and-butter-sauced prawns, which also make sensational satays, and West Javanese spiced prawn balls. Also from Java comes otak-otak. In this dish, cooked prawns are combined with double the amount of firm fish fillets along with chilies, spring onions, garlic, lemongrass, coriander and unsweetened coconut milk. This is divided among banana leaves (or foil) and baked, steamed or grilled. The result is a delicious fish pate.

Alternatively, one can make fish foil parcels from fish fillets, spices and coconut cream and quickly barbecue them over hot coals. Fish in soy sauce is popular in Sumatra. If you visit Ujung Pandang, the capital of Sulawesi, you'll find a huge variety of barbecued fish, including squid, prepared by the seafaring Bugis people at their numerous stalls.

Fish fillets fried then topped with a lime juice, soy sauce, coconut cream and vinegar sauce, are another delicious surprise. Squid is popular in curry and is also fiery when cooked with dried chilies and shrimp paste. Other delicacies include lobster, crab and anchovies.

Many Indonesians, particularly the elderly, have known severe poverty. Rice, having been grown so successfully and cheaply, has often been the only sustenance for the poor. No wonder rice is the traditional focus of every meal.

The Indonesians are masters of making rice interesting, even if it is only accompanied by a small amount of vegetables, fish or meat and/or sambals. The rice absorbs the palate-testing sauces which makes the dish exciting. Indonesian rice is dry; it is not as sticky as other Asian rice. The exception is glutinous rice, which is usually reserved for desserts.

The best method of cooking rice is by the absorption method or steaming, as more flavor is thus retained than when boiled. When rice is cooked in coconut milk it takes on a new flavor altogether. Left-over rice can be fried to produce nasi goreng (fried rice) which must be the world's greated national dish to be based on left-overs. Nasi goreng bears little similarity to the Chinese version of fried rice.

Yellow rice and coconut rice, a feature of Balinese and Javanese cooking, are celebratory dishes at festivals or special family occasions. Nasi Kuning (yellow rice) is a simple and sustaining dish and is the basis of risjtafel.

Noodles are also popular in Indonesia but are not generally eaten in conjunction with rice. So, for your own dinner party, make your choice: noodle or rice.

If any dedicated vegetarians have reservations about being beach-burns or upmarket holiday resort guests in Bali, let this section alleviate their fears. In Bali and almost everywhere else in Indonesia, particularly in rural areas, fresh, steamed vegetables are available from roadside stalls as well as in restaurants and hotels. Vegetables are very much a part of the meal scene in Indonesia. No rijstafel would be authentic without vegetables. Indonesia also has an exclusive specialty; fermented soybean cake tempeh.

The island nation has its own indigenous vegetables which thrive in rich volcanic soil. The vegetable selection was broadened by European conquerors such as the Dutch who discovered that tomatoes, beans, cabbages and carrots would grow well in Indonesia. Much earlier, the Chinese had planted eggplant, cucumbers and spinach, which also thrived. Sweetcorn, bean sprouts and cauliflower are also grown. The Indonesians frequently combine vegetables and fruit and, in addition, vegetables with tofu. Gado Gado is a national dish which includes eggs, potatoes and peanut sauce. It is somewhat time-consuming to prepare but it is rewarding and healthy for non-meat eaters, especially if tofu is added and the vegetables are not over-cooked.