Nasi Kucing: The Cheap Way to Eat

Nasi (“N”, “A” as in “father”, “S”, “I” as in “see” – Indonesian) or Sega (“S”, “E” as in “the”, “G” as in “Goal”, “A” as  in “Pop” – Javanese) means steamed rice, while Kucing (“K”, “U” as in “good”, “C” as in “chalk”, “I” as in “see”, “NG” as in “singer”) means cat.

Nasi Kucing, in Indonesia, which was translated from Javanese language’s Sega Kucing, means Cat’s Rice. But don’t get it wrong, this Cat’s Rice is not just for cats. People, mostly students in middle Java and Yogyakarta, Indonesia, knew about this Sega Kucing or Cat’s Rice for quite a long time, as the cheapest menu to eat, while it tastes great, and now I’ve seen it in several places in Jakarta, and Depok, West Java, Indonesia.

I can’t say for certain, who’s the inventor this “Nasi Kucing”. All I know is “Nasi Kucing” usually sold per portion in banana leaves/paper packages on the roadside, usually on a wheelbarrows called “Angkringan” (most area in Middle Java, and Yogyakarta), hik/hek or wedangan (Solo), where people come to eat while having a relaxing conversation with friends. Just like in a coffee shop, many people, especially youngsters consider an Angkringan, hik/hek, or wedangan as a cool and cheap place to hang out. No wonder if it is now has been franchised, so that you might find it in many places in Indonesia.

Some said it was named “Sega Kucing” because it was originally made from steamed rice with a little piece of fried fish (Indonesian usually feed cats with fried fish which crushed and then mixed with steamed rice), plus a little bit of Indonesian chili sauce (sambal in formal Indonesian, or sambel in Javanese/informal Indonesian). Others said it was called “Sega Kucing” because the portion is so small, just like the food portion given to cats.

The price might varies in different places, but most likely less than $1 (or $2 in Jakarta) per person, for 2 packages of rice, 1 glass of coffee/ginger, 1 glass of iced orange juice, plus a couple of sliced of fried or grilled stuffs, such as tofu or  bean curd, quail eggs, sausage, meat, chicken, etc.

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