Nasi kucing ([ˈnasiˈkutʃɪŋ]; also known as ꦱꦼꦒꦏꦸꦕꦶꦁ (sěgå kucing)[1] and often translated cat rice[2] or cat's rice) is an Indonesianrice dish that originated in Central Java, primarily in the Yogyakarta, Semarang, and Surakarta areas but has since spread throughout the country. It consists of a small portion of rice with toppings, usually sambal, dried fish, and tempeh, wrapped in banana leaves.
Etymology
The term nasi kucing, literally meaning "cat rice" or "cat's rice", is derived from its portion size; it is similar in size to what the Javanese would serve to a pet cat, hence the name.[3]
Nasi kucing consists of a small, fist-sized portion of rice along with toppings. Common toppings include sambal, dried fish, and tempeh.[3] Other ingredients can include egg, chicken, and cucumber.[4] It is served ready-made, wrapped in a banana leaf, which is further wrapped in paper.[3]
A variation of nasi kucing, sega macan (English: tiger's rice) is three times the size of a regular portion of nasi kucing. It is served with roasted rice, dried fish, and vegetables. Like nasi kucing, sega macan is served wrapped in a banana leaf and paper.[5]
Sales
A seller at an angkringan, preparing tempeh with wrapped nasi kucing visible in the foreground
Nasi kucing is often sold at a low price (sometimes as low as Rp 1,000 for nasi kucing[6] and Rp 4,000 for sega macan[5]) at small, road-side food stalls called angkringan, which are frequented by working-class people, or wong cilik, including pedicab and taxi drivers, students, and street musicians.[7] This has led to angkringan being considered the "lowest class of eatery".[6]
The owners of the angkringan themselves often come from lower socio-economic classes, may have few or no marketable skills, or originate from remote villages.[8] In order to open their stalls, they borrow money from a patron, called a juragan; that amount can be up to Rp 900,000.[9] From the daily net profits of Rp 15,000 – Rp 25,000,[10] the seller repays the patron until the debt is repaid and the seller is able to operate independently.[11]
^ abcHermanto; Purwadi, Trias; Jayadi, Fauzan (7 February 2007). "Nasi Kucing Juga Dikenal di Makkah" [Cat's Rice is Also Found in Mecca] (in Indonesian). Suara Merdeka. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
Suprihatin, Sri Emy Yuli (April 2002). "Hubungan Patron Klien Pedagang "Nasi Kucing" di Kota Yogyakarta" [Client-Patron Relationships of "Nasi Kucing" Sellers in the City of Yogyakarta] (PDF). Humaniora (in Indonesian). 7 (1): 147–164. Archived from the original(PDF) on 17 March 2012. Retrieved 8 July 2011.
