As a local guide, I also concern with local food.
Luckyly, I am joining with Semarang’s Female Blogger Comunity that consist of Google guides in this city.
So, we often meet up at several reataurants,cafes, or unique place to introduce the local food to taste by culinary lovers and review it on the Google guide application.
Some of local guides attended "LUNPIA CIK ME ME Meet Up" in the last Wednesday at Lunpia Cik MEME outlet, on Gajahmada street, Semarang.
Lunpia is a spring roll commonly found in Indonesia. It is a savoury snack made of thin crepe pastry skin called “lunpia wrapper” enveloping a mixture of savoury fillings, consists of chopped vegetables (carrots, cabbages, green beans, bamboo shoots and leeks) or sometimes also minced meat (chicken, shrimp, pork or beef).
It is often served as an appetizer or snack, and might be served deep fried or fresh (unfried).
FYI, lunpia Semarang is perhaps the most popular lunpia variant in Indonesia. It has become associated with the city, and the spring rolls are often sought by the visitors in Semarang as food gift or souvenir. Originally made by Chinese immigrants, this lunpia is filled with bamboo shoots, dried shrimp, chicken, and/or prawns. It is served with a sweet chili sauce made from dried shrimp (optional), coconut sugar, red chili peppers, bird’s eye chili peppers, ground white pepper, tapioca starch, water, and baby shallots.
Well, … I visited Lunpia Delight which has now changed its name to Lunpia Cik Me Me with the Semarang Female Google Local Guides.
According to Cik Me Me itself , Cik Me Me is the fifth generation of the original descendants of the family dynasty Lunpia Semarang. Based on the history and the sequence, initially made from bamboo shoots cuisine was spearheaded by married couples Tjoa Thay Joe and Mbok Wasi, since 1870. Then in 1930, passed down to the second generation of Tjoa Po Nio From them, their children were born ,Siem Swie Hie (pioneer of Lunpia Pemuda), Siem Swie Kiem (pioneer of Lunpia Gang Lombok) and Siem Hwa Nio (as pioneer of Mataram lunpia first generation in 1960).
Siem Hwa Nio has a son named Tan Yok Tjay who then continues the business of Lunpia Mataram as the second generation, and he is the father of Cik Me Me who is the owner of Lunpia Cik Me Me it self.
You can enjoy some flavour variants both fried spring rolls or wet spring rolls.
The durability of fried lumpia reaches is about 24 hours.
“I often serve delivery out of town and delivery order in Semarang city with minimum order 10 pieces lunpia”, she said.
No wonder, Lunpia Cik Me Me always sought by the tourists, because careful processing up to 3 hours cooking process that makes bamboo shoots become dry so that more durable without preservatives.
We tried their latest menu, and also had an intimate conversation with the beautiful owner. We were also treated to several variants of spring rolls that must be tried when you come here.
There are 5 flavours you can taste on Lunpia Cik Me Me:
- Lunpia Original which is the embryo of lunpia cik Me Me, with processed bamboo shoots and eggs.
- Lunpia Plain, suitable for vegetarian menu without processed meat in it.
- Lunpia Crab, which contains bamboo shoots with a combination of crabmeat and eggs, is perfect for crab lovers.
- Lunpia Kambing Muda Jantan, commonly abbreviated Lumpia KaJaMu, contains selected mutton, bamboo shoots and eggs with slightly spicy taste and middle-eastern style, I really love it!
- Lunpia Fish Kakap, really suitable for fish fans especially snapper mix with egg and bamboo shoot.
- Lunpia Raja Nusantara which contains bamboo shoots are processed with mushrooms, eggs and there are cashews in it.
Some of Google Local Guide mostly prefer to dine in either take away because it is the very delicious local food and icon of Semarang city.
If you visit to Semarang, you must try those that you never found on another places.
Very recommended!