Five of Indonesia’s best restaurants for pork, and why country with world’s largest Muslim population is eating more of the meat
- The love for all things pork has been on the rise in Indonesia, with Facebook groups such as Porkliner promoting the likes of sausages and succulent roasts
- Delivery services also report increased business when dealing with restaurants specialising in pig’s meat
An appreciation for tasty pork dishes has become increasingly visible in Indonesia, as diners share photos of their dinners on social media, and listings of restaurants and shops specialising in pork on food delivery sites run into the hundreds.
It’s an unlikely trend in the world’s most populous Muslim nation, where almost nine out of 10 citizens – about 225 million people – and are not permitted to eat the succulent meat.
Yet millions of Indonesian Christians, Hindus and non-practising Muslims are becoming increasingly vocal on the internet about their enthusiasm for all things pork.
From Western-style barbecues with sausages and cuts, to the Hindu island of Bali’s succulent roast pork speciality and forays into Jakarta’s Chinatown, the love of pig meat is proudly on display.
Thousands of enthusiasts have found their way onto Porkliner, for example, a Facebook community where members share their experiences of the nation’s best pork dishes. A number of the page’s fans have gone on to establish their own meat businesses after seeing how receptive the market is.
Set up in 2016 by musician Nicko Krisna, 41, a non-practising Muslim, and Jonathan Hendro, 50, a Christian who runs a production house, Porkliner features seemingly endless photos of bacon, pork belly, ribs, sausages and other pig delicacies.
