Making Gangan fish soup at home: Bringing travel memories to my kitchen

[Lusianaa]

A photo of a bowl of Gangan fish soup. (Local Guide @Lusianaa)

We all have our travel memories. We collect photos on our phones, put magnets on our fridge to preserve our memories. But there is something much more powerful that can bring our past experiences to life. The taste, the smell, and the texture of food can bring back memories not just of eating food itself, but also of place and setting. For example, for me, a simple homemade Gangan fish soup brings back the smell of sea air and the sound of gently lapping waves in Belitung Island.

Gangan is a special soup from Bangka-Belitung province. Made with sea water fish, pineapple, and cooked with a mixture of Indonesian spices, this soup has a dominant yellow color with a combination of sweet, spicy, and sour taste. Usually, the locals use ketarap fish which is commonly found in Bangka-Belitung waters. Since I could not find it in Jakarta, so I used mackerel fish instead. I also added tomato slices to enhance the freshness.

As part of my second entry for @AlexandreCampbell's #CommunityChefChallenge, I would like to share how to make the Gangan fish soup 👩‍🍳

Ingredients
The fish and soup base:

• 400 gr fresh mackerel, cut diagonally into 2 cm wide pieces
• 50 gr young pineapple, thinly sliced
• 1/2 tomato, thinly sliced
• 600 ml water
• 1 tbsp turmeric powder
• 3 cm galangal, peeled and crushed
• 1 tsp salt

The spice paste:

• 6 shallots, peeled
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 3 red bird's eye chilies
• 3 candlenuts
• 1 tsp terasi (shrimp paste)

Cooking directions:

1. Blend the spice paste in a food processor. Add some water if needed.
2. Heat the frying pot on medium-high heat. Add in the spice paste, turmeric powder, and galangal. Then, stir until fragrant.
3. Add in the water, pineapple and tomato slices. Simmer over medium-low heat.
4. Add in the fish pieces. Cook until fish pieces are cooked. Lastly, season with salt.

A collage of four photos showing the cooking directions to make Gangan fish soup. (Local Guide @Lusianaa)

A bowl of Gangan fish soup is not only a special dish that reminds me of Belitung Island, but it is also rich in many nutrients, including protein, omega-3, and vitamin C that are essential to our health. Yes, I love Gangan fish soup that much! ❤️

Do you know any dishes that remind you of past trips or holidays? Please share your stories in the comments below.

My posts related to Belitung Island:
Belitung: A Tiny Paradise Island of Indonesia
Belitung's Finest Seafood

[Giu_DiB]

Hello @Lusianaa,

Thanks for this tasty recipe! I absolutely love all sort of soups, and fish soups amongs my favorite ones. When I was a toddler the doctor told my parents I needed vitamin D so I had fish soup almost every evening. I loved it so much! 🙂

I will try to replicate the dish thanks to your instructions. I am also sure that the spice paste can be helpful in other recipes too. 

Since you love cooking and taking photos, I suggest this helpful article, in case you haven't seen it yet: The lighting tip that makes food look delicious. 

[Lusianaa]

Hello @Giu_DiB 

Thank you for sharing your story. Eating fish is really good for our health and soup is one of many good ways to enjoy it. I love fish soups too!

Actually in Indonesia, we have a variety of savory yellow soups from turmeric used in the soup base, and Gangan is one of my favorites. I'm glad you found the recipe interesting. Also, thank you for sharing the helpful article. Really appreciate it 😊

[iyudhi]

@Lusianaa this is the first time I've heard Gangan soup. Is it called the same in Indonesia, or does it have a different name? As someone that was born and raised in Indonesia, I'm ashamed that I've never heard this before hahah

[Lusianaa]

Hello @iyudhi

It is the same name, called sup Gangan ikan khas Belitung. I knew this dish after visiting Belitung. Probably you are not familiar with it because you haven't visited Belitung 😅 Which city did you use to live?

[Sophia_Cambodia]

It looks like our creamy sour soup here @Lusianaa I really miss eating that!

[Lusianaa]

Sounds interesting @Sophia_Cambodia Maybe next time you can share the detail with us on Connect 😊

[Mohammadalauddin]

We got our fish soup Specialist Mr cooking chef. How to cook so much fun, what magic is at u hand. 

Vitamin D rich soup. Which very few people can present in a cooking and beautifully.

Thank you so much @Lusianaa for nice post. 

[Lusianaa]

Thank you so much for your kind words @Mohammadalauddin I'm not a professional and I'm constantly learning about new recipes to make at home. Thank you for reading my post. I'm glad you like it.

[TravelerProdipta]

Thank you @Lusianaa for the mouthwatering post 👍

#HappyGuiding