Karedok
In its own language: ᮊᮛᮦᮓᮧᮊ᮪
Raw vegetables tossed in a spicy peanut sauce from West Java
Karedok is a Sundanese salad from West Java, Indonesia, made of raw vegetables like long beans, cucumber, bean sprouts, cabbage, lemon basil, chayote, and small green eggplant, all coated in a spicy peanut sauce. It is eaten daily, often with rice, tofu, tempeh, and crackers, and stands out for its use of raw ingredients and aromatic herbs.
- All vegetables in karedok are served raw, not cooked
- The peanut sauce often includes kencur, a fragrant rhizome
- Karedok is a daily dish in Sundanese households
- It is always served with crunchy crackers like krupuk or emping
What is Karedok?
Karedok is a salad of raw vegetables from the Sundanese people of West Java. It brings together long beans, cucumber, bean sprouts, cabbage, lemon basil, chayote, and small green eggplant, all cut and mixed. These are generously dressed with a thick, spicy peanut sauce. The sauce is rich and aromatic, often including peanuts, chili, kencur (a rhizome with a sharp scent), palm sugar, salt, and sometimes shrimp paste. Karedok is typically served at room temperature and is always accompanied by crunchy crackers, such as krupuk or emping.
Where does Karedok come from?
Karedok comes from the Sundanese region of West Java, Indonesia, where it is a signature dish. It is part of a family of Indonesian salads that use peanut-based dressings, such as gado-gado, lotek, and pecel. What sets karedok apart is its use of entirely raw vegetables and the inclusion of herbs like lemon basil and kencur. Over time, it has become a daily staple in Sundanese households and is now found in food stalls, restaurants, and even international venues.
How is Karedok made?
To make karedok, fresh vegetables are washed and cut into bite-sized pieces. The peanut sauce is typically made by grinding fried peanuts with chili, kencur, palm sugar, salt, and sometimes shrimp paste, then thinning it with water. In some places, the sauce is made to order for each customer, preserving its freshness and aroma. The vegetables are tossed or topped with the sauce just before serving, and the dish is finished with a side of crackers.
How and when is Karedok eaten?
Karedok is eaten as a main or side dish at lunch or dinner. It is a common part of daily meals in Sundanese homes and is often served with hot rice, tofu, tempeh, and crackers. In Indonesia, it is popular from street vendors and small eateries to restaurants. The salad is enjoyed for its fresh crunch and the contrast of cool vegetables with the spicy, nutty sauce. Sometimes it is paired with lontong, a compressed rice cake.
Kinds of Karedok
There are many variations of karedok, mainly in the types of vegetables and the exact blend of the peanut sauce. Some versions use different legumes or herbs, and the sauce may be adjusted for spiciness or sweetness. Karedok is closely related to gado-gado, but unlike gado-gado, all the vegetables in karedok are raw. The dish is also known as lotek atah, highlighting its uncooked ingredients.
What Karedok means
Karedok is a symbol of Sundanese food culture and is part of a broader tradition of Indonesian salads with peanut dressings. It is widely eaten as everyday food and is recognized for its freshness and simplicity. The custom of making the sauce fresh in front of customers is valued for authenticity. Karedok has become more widely available as Indonesian cuisine spreads, and ready-made peanut sauces are now sold in stores.
Questions people ask about Karedok
What is karedok made of?
Karedok is made from raw vegetables such as long beans, cucumber, bean sprouts, cabbage, lemon basil, chayote, and small green eggplant, all mixed with a spicy peanut sauce.
Where does karedok come from?
Karedok comes from the Sundanese region of West Java, Indonesia, and is a signature dish of Sundanese cuisine.
How is karedok different from gado-gado?
Karedok uses only raw vegetables, while gado-gado usually has boiled or blanched vegetables. Karedok also features herbs like lemon basil and kencur.
When is karedok usually eaten?
Karedok is eaten as part of lunch or dinner and is a common everyday food in Sundanese households.
What is the sauce in karedok?
The sauce is a spicy peanut dressing, often made with peanuts, chili, kencur, palm sugar, salt, and sometimes shrimp paste.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Karedok", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Thali rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes, and it is not dietary or allergy advice: recipes differ from cook to cook. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.
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