Makassar, formerly called Ujung Pandang, is the capital of South Sulawesi province. It has the largest population of any city on the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia, and is the fifth largest city in Indonesia after Jakarta, Surabaya, Bandung and Medan. The city is on the southwest coast of Sulawesi, facing the Makassar strait. It is regarded as the gateway to the eastern part of Indonesia.

 

So the town is a complicated melting pot. Muslim, Christian, Chinese and other religious festivals happen all year round and communities from all faiths participate in each other’s festivals. For example at the end of the fasting month of Ramadhan there is a tradition of “open house” as in many parts of Southeast Asia: friends and contacts of all faiths are welcome to drop in and pay their respects.

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Another great thing about this city is its food. There are several famous seafood restaurants in Makassar, and no visit to this town could be complete without a feast at one of these restaurants. The fish is fantastic: one of my favourites is fried boxfish (ikan Kudu-Kudu) cutlets . Now the Mayor, Pak Danny, is popularising Makassar cuisine and has enumerated ten local dishes that are worth noting. One, coto Makassar, is a spicy, soupy dish with beef and cows' organs (e.g. liver and brain), and is eaten with rice cake (ketupat).