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The idea of rijsttafel came up during the Dutch colonial period. At the time, the Dutch people observed how Indonesian families ate dinner together and the food, which comprised of rice and various small dishes, was served at the same time instead of in a certain order as was common in Europe. They were interested in following this unique way of serving Indonesian food, but done in greater quantities and consumed according to their own custom.

To give a more lavish impression, the food served in rijsttafel comes in a lot of variations which include rice, main dishes and desserts. The rice itself comes in many different colours such as white (jasmine and coconut rice), yellow (turmeric rice) and red. The main dishes comprise of beef, mutton, chicken, fish, seafood and vegetables, cooked in several different ways such as stir-fried, deep-fried, grilled, steamed or made into soup. To complete the dining experience, fruits or Indonesian traditional cakes are served as desserts.

After enjoying much popularities during the colonial period, rijsttafel was taken out of Indonesia and made popular by the Dutch people in their country. Nowadays in Indonesia, this unique way of dining can only be enjoyed in certain places such as restaurants or fine hotels.