15 Super hot Indonesian snacks in Jakarta to challenge your spice tolerance!

Written by Nadia Crowe
Co-written by Beverley Lennon
Edited by Beverley Lennon

Are you and your friends the type of people who put sambal (hot sauce) on everything, and carry a bottle when they travel? The ones who order whatever it is that’s spicy on the menu, no matter what time of the day it is? Or can’t eat a meal without chopped chilis on the side? If you said yes to everything, then these will make your spicy food-loving heart burst in happiness!

Recently, it seems like eating spicy food got even more trendy, with a bunch of #SpicyChallenge videos circulating on the internet and Jakartans didn’t miss jumping on the bandwagon! The exponential growth of hot sauce challenges and spicy Indomie stalls in Jakarta all goes to prove that Indonesia is totally obsessed with tongue-numbing grub!

And it only makes sense that the snack game has followed suit, as nearly every variety of local Indonesia chip and cracker seems to showcase some version of its spicy self (some with spice levels ranging from 1 to 10!!).

Now, since we believe that sometimes the bonds of friendship are strengthened by being horrible to each other ;), or seeing each other cry in pain, screaming for milk and… HELP, why not grab a few of your friends and dare try these insanely spicy Indonesian snacks right at home, with a bottle of water by your side?!

Note: We recommend you to try these in moderation. You want a fun challenge, not a tearful afternoon on the toilet!

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1. A Martabak to eat at your own risk!: Martabakku Menteng

While personally I’m more of a chocolate martabak fan, there are definitely fans of the savoury kind, and in particular this special addition to Martabakku Menteng’s menu: sambal stuffed martabak and they’re the auburn flame color you expect a spicy snack to be!

There are a bunch of ridiculously spicy sambals across Indonesia, and Martabakku Menteng chooses a few famous ones (such as Sambal Balado and Sambal Matah Bali)  to fill up their Martabaks to the brim! Each bite will have you screaming in pain and pleasure as the hot chilli mixes with the chewy pancake texture. A truly unique combination that might well destroy your insides

2. Which spice level can you go up to!?: Maicih

With Maicih, pain is pleasure, and you’ll be stuffing your face despite the torturous burn! And if you’re a proclaimed heat-lover, these chips surely deliver a knockout blow!

Maicih is a crisp brand which takes their spices VERY seriously! With several different types of crisps, from thinly sliced tapioca to dried and fried macaroni, they do a wonderful job of keeping you on your toes. Plus with several levels to choose from up to level 10, there’s no doubt you’ll be breathing with your mouth wide open!

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3. When your whole gang craves the burn!: Kusuka

Kusuka is super well known and it is another one of those snacks many of us (non-Indonesians) try to avoid as they love to spice things up a notch! At least half of their range involves some level of spice, from a mild barbecue flavour to a super pedas flavour, this could be a challenge for the whole family to undertake!

How hot can nenek go? Can adik keep up with the adults? Make it a way to bond on a Sunday, and regardless of whether your cheeks are flaming pink, you’ll have had a great time! Although these might not be the most reliable plug for your spice fix, they do bring a kick to your usual snacks!

4. Time on the Island of the Gods can get HOT: Rasa Lokal

Sambal Matah is a Bali specialty, it’s unapologetically spicy, full of flavour and slightly dangerous too!

And when you’re offered Rasa Lokal’s Keripik Sambal Matah Bali chips, you should just know instinctively that hell yes they’re going to be spicy! It is the perfect snack to munch on when you’re craving a visit to the island where things generally get hot (whether it is the surfers at the beach or the food on your plate).

For those really crazy ones, if this isn’t spicy enough for you to blow your nose, they even have a level higher, aptly named Sambal Matah Bali GILAA – only a handful of these is required for perspiration to kick in!

5. Cup noodles like you’ve never had before: PopMie Pedas

We all love cup noodles, they’re easy to make and super convenient. PopMie Pedas gives you the same satisfying feeling of eating the famous Indomie of death at Jakarta’s Warmindo Abang Adek without the embarrassment of having to deal with it in public! Sweat (and cry) in the privacy of your own home!

6. A fiery twist to the bag of peanuts we know and love: Garuda Atom Pedas

Spiced peanuts are nothing new, whether served to you in a bar, or whilst waiting for food to arrive, there’s just something so tempting about having them for snacks! More often than not, the spice level you get served is just enough to make your mouth tingle, but what if I told you that you could have yummy peanuts completely coated with fiery goodness?!

Garuda Atom Pedas isn’t your traditional bag of peanuts – they come dusted with a blend of flaming hot spices that’ll get you wipe your face!

Enough to make your eyes water, this will be your new favourite snack to pair your happy hour with. Super easy to eat, make sure to pace yourself or you’ll be digging at the bottom of the bag in no time (that is, if you’re not an amateur spicy food-lover)!

7. In Bandung, seblak reigns as the spicy King: Kemripik Seblak Bandung

For those who have never heard of it, seblak is a bright red, scary looking spicy soup. Hailing from Bandung, somehow the creators of this snack have managed to turn this liquid into a crisp all the while retaining the bunch of fiery flavours present in the original dish!

The two minds behind this snack are a famous Indonesian youtuber (Kaesang Pangarep) and a politician (Gibran Rakabuming Raka)! With the smarts and creativity combined, of course it was possible!

8. The #SpicyChallenge goes under the sea too!: Mamasuka Rumput Laut Kering Panggang Rasa Pedas

Seaweed is a great snack, it’s one that’s so unique in taste and texture that it’s always a pleasant surprise when you eat it after a long time! Mamasuka has taken the spicy needs of all Indonesians and combined this delicious crispy snack with some seriously fiery powder to give seaweed lovers everywhere a challenge.

With each bite the seaweed melts in your mouth while simultaneously releasing potent powder into your bloodstream! It’s a snack like no other and oftentimes, even grown-up men end up in tears!

9. The experts in spicy macaroni have snacks too!!: Makaroni Ngehe

Despite being known for their spicy mac n’ cheese, this place also specialises in some pretty tasty snacks too! Cimol is a small crispy fried ball made from tapioca flour, and Makaroni Ngehe has several flavours to choose from. Each flavour also comes with a choice for the spicy level you want (between 1 and 5) make sure to choose wisely!

From Balado all over it to cheese stuffed in it, you can’t go wrong, or should I say… chillyheads be warned?! It’s the ultimate spicy snack on the go, just make sure you have some ice cold water near you to douse out the fires! Although different levels of spice can be subjective, you seriously deserve some respect if you can finish a few packets of those!

10. Find the popular Ayam Geprek hidden in a bag of chips!: Piattos Sambal Geprek

Ayam Geprek was the most ordered food on Grabfood ID in 2018, so it’s no wonder that Piattos would want to capitalise on that and create a chip flavour to emulate its deliciousness! Safe to say they succeeded!

Let’s be honest, it can get boring to keep munching on plain potato chips, although you could dip them in something exciting, am I right? With the mild fried chicken flavour hidden underneath the heaty sambal, these Piattos chips will surely turn up the heat on your tongue and they’re perfect for when you’re craving Ayam Geprek but don’t necessarily want to eat a full meal!

11. You think it’s just BBQ, but… : Talas Mercon

Made from the delicious Taro root, these crisps are definitely different from the norm! That’s not even factoring in the fact that it has a level 5 fiery heat to it!

More than just chilli, Talas Mercon actually tastes like barbecue sauce… super hot, super yummy barbecue sauce! So for all you barbecue lovers out there, if you’re craving the smoky hot notes then all you need to do is pick up one of these bad boys!

12. Flaming hot macaroni goodness!: Makaroni Mercon

I’m a big fan of the soft macaroni that you douse in cheese and eat hot (topped with some ham slices). Little did I know that crispy, fried macaroni is a thing, and a delicious thing at that!

Makaroni Mercon is doused in the spiciest powder that will leave your fingers bright orange! Despite the burn you feel, you’ll definitely be tempted to lick up all the remaining powder, and we wouldn’t judge you one bit!

13. A childhood favourite now packs a punch!: Chitato MAXX

Everyone can remember the joy of coming home and seeing that mum has brought back some classic Chitatos as part of her grocery haul. The joy continues into adulthood – as your taste buds change to enjoy foods with a little bit more kick in them, the mild, salty taste of original Chitatos may not do it for you anymore.

Luckily, Chitato MAXX comes to the rescue! Infused with spicy Mexican chillies that will surely challenge you and your friends! Make sure to have a glass of milk on standby! The mouth-puckering tang gives way to a pleasant crunch and modest heat, making it easy to unconsciously plow your way through a bag.

14. Discover a whole new side to the prawn cracker: Oishi Rasa Udang Pedas

There’s nothing better than a packet of prawn crisps. While I personally like to eat them with rice, I can never help myself from snacking on them whenever I see a container on the counter filled with them!

Adding a kick to this household staple is exactly what the doctor ordered, if you thought you couldn’t keep your hands off them before? Just you wait… they’re also a great way to test your pain and spice tolerance.

15. Trick your friends with this unique form of tempeh!: Qtela Cabe Rawit

I don’t know about you, but tempeh is one of my favourite foods in the world. Its slightly nutty flavour, and crispy texture (when fried) are absolute perfection! When I stumbled across Qtela, and saw that it was a bag of thinly sliced, fully spiced, deeply fried tempeh, I nearly cried.

While the original flavour is definitely worthwhile, the ones with a little bit of fire to them are definitely winners, but beware! These won’t have the same results on your stomach and can definitely haunt your taste buds for quite some time!

Oh and you might want to buy more than one bag of these, as trust me, they’re addictive! I wonder who’s going to finish the packet first?

Ready to dig in a packet of crunchy, spicy goodness right at home and challenge your besties and relatives? Let us know once you’ve completed the challenge and post a picture of your sweaty face maybe?! Goodluck chilliheads!

PLEASE NOTE: All the above information is correct at the date of publication. If you come across any changes or updates, please let us know and we will update the information accordingly. Thank you! Tell us

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