Since we've been talking a lot about savory dishes lately, I've decided to switch things up this week! And what better thing to talk about than my all-time favorite dessert from Indonesia, wedang ronde! But in Indonesia, we just call it ronde!
Ronde is a dessert made of glutinous rice balls filled with crushed sweet peanuts and sugar, served in a warm, fragrant ginger broth! Usually topped with even more peanuts in the broth, and kolang kaling!
What even many Indonesians don't know about ronde is that it's actually an adaptation of the Chinese dish tangyuan! A glutinous rice ball served in a hot broth or syrup! Sounds familiar?
The difference is, tangyuan syrup is much lighter, sometimes just water with sugar and a bit of osmanthus or ginger, while ronde is much spicier and bolder!
Ronde mostly tastes spicy from the ginger in the broth, balanced out with gula jawa to add a little sweetness! Aside from gula jawa, the sweetness in ronde also comes from the kolang kaling that it's usually served with!
In Indonesia, ginger is well known for its health benefits! It's believed to help warm the body and support digestion! So even though Indonesia doesn't have a winter season, warm ginger-based foods like ronde are especially popular during the rainy season, or at night!
But funnily enough, even though ronde is also popular with kids, most children in Indonesia usually don't like the kolang kaling or the ginger broth, so they usually just eat the glutinous rice balls!
So if you ever find yourself craving something warm, comforting, spicy and a little bit sweet, ronde is the perfect treat to try! Whether you're enjoying it on a rainy night, or just want to warm up your belly with something delicious, ronde never disappoints!
Give it a try, and who knows? it might become your new favorite too!
Best regards, Gembira
Here to make your soul happy!