Colo-colo (condiment)

Colo-colo is a type of hot and spicy condiment commonly found in Maluku cuisine of Maluku archipelago, Indonesia. It is believed to be originated from Ambon city. Colo-colo is similar with Manado's dabu-dabu, as they both uses a lot of chopped red chili peppers, bird's eye chili, shallots, red and green tomatoes, and a pinch of salt and sugar, mixed with fresh calamansi juice or locally known as lemon cui or jeruk kesturi. (sometimes replaced by kaffir lime or lemon juice). The main difference is colo-colo recipe often added further with additional ingredients, such as chopped lemon basil, kenari nut, and tahi minyak or ampas minyak (black-colored cooking coconut oil residue), or caramelized rarobang (watery residue of coconut oil-making process). As the result colo-colo is darker and more oily than dabu-dabu.

However today, because of the rarity and difficulty to acquire traditional cooking oil residue and caramelized rarobang, this oily agent is often replaced by widely available and practical kecap manis (sweet soy sauce) mixed with margarine, coconut oil or cooking oil. As the result today colo-colo is often mistaken as Indonesian common sambal kecap.

Maluku archipelago is famous for their rich collection of seafoods, and colo-colo usually served as condiment for seafoods, especially various recipes of ikan bakar (grilled fish) and ikan goreng (fried fish). Popular grilled seafoods such as kakap merah (red snapper), baronang (rabbitfish), cakalang (skipjack tuna), cumi-cumi (squid) and udang (shrimp) are served with colo-colo as coating or dipping sauce. Colo-colo is often described as Ambon's sambal.

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