Asam sunti is one of the ingredients that is very familiar and very important for the people of Aceh. And almost all Acehnese cuisine, must use this spice as a complement. And Sunti Acid is made from star fruit.
And today, I took the time to look at how the process of making Asam Sunti is. After picking from the tree, the star fruit is boiled first about 10 minutes. After the color turns yellow, the star fruit is dried in the sun.
After being dried in the sun for about two days, this star fruit will be smeared with salt in large quantities. And dried in the sun again for several days. Every day, while still in the process of drying, this star fruit will continue to be smeared with salt, until the star fruit dries.
After being dried in the sun for a few days and smeared with salt, this starfruit will change its color to slightly brown. This brownish color indicates that the star fruit is completely dry and will be stored in a closed container.
After going through a fairly long storage process, star fruit has become Asam Sunti, and is ready to be used for a variety of dishes. Acehnese usually use Asam Sunti to cook stir-fry or Asam Keueung, one of the most popular dishes in Aceh.