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  • New Zealand Listener

    THE SPICE TRAIL

    Jun 12, 2022 4 minutes

    These crunchy pastry envelopes stuffed with a juicy meat filling are one of Indonesia’s most popular street-food snacks. Their origins are thought to be halfway around the world in the Indian communities of Yemen, from where they spread with traders across the Muslim world, adapting significantly to the flavours of each port.

    The name martabak (with slight variations) provides a lingering linguistic clue to the shared origin, whether you are snacking in Bangkok, Brunei or Kuwait. Watching kaki lima (street) vendors make savoury martabak is pure performance art as they deftly stretch dough until translucently thin, then fold it around the filling.

    I have an easy cheat for those of us less adroit, using wonton wrappers, which crisp

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