Soto Ayam

Soto ayam is a turmeric-yellow chicken broth with shredded chicken, glass noodles and boiled egg, finished with a squeeze of lime and a scatter of fried shallot. It's Indonesia's everyday soup, and nearly every region has its own version under its own name — the specific spicing, noodle type and garnishes shift from island to island, but the turmeric-gold broth and the shredded chicken stay constant.

What it really is

Chicken poaches whole in water with turmeric, galangal, lemongrass and garlic until the meat is tender enough to shred by hand, and that poaching liquid becomes the soup's base, strained clear and coloured a deep gold from the turmeric. Glass noodles, the shredded chicken, and a boiled egg go into the bowl before the hot broth ladles over everything, and fried shallot, chopped celery leaf, and a squeeze of lime finish it at the table.

The regional variation is real, not a lack of standardisation. Soto Betawi from Jakarta, soto Lamongan from East Java, and soto Madura all carry the same name but genuinely different broths, spice blends and garnishes — a menu should say which regional version is being served rather than treating "soto ayam" as one fixed recipe.

How it's served

• Hot, in a bowl, garnished at the table with lime, shallot and sambal.
• With rice or rice cakes on the side, sometimes added directly into the bowl.
• As a main course, common for breakfast as well as lunch or dinner.

How to write it on the menu

• Say which regional style is served, since the differences are genuine.
• Flag the egg.
• Note that sambal is offered separately so guests can control the heat.