Local food
Five dishes that belong to Malang, what is in each, and where the city actually eats them.
Bakso Malang
Beef meatballs in clear broth — but Malang's version arrives with a whole family of extras: fried wonton, steamed dumpling, tofu stuffed with more meatball, and thin noodles. You point at what you want; the price is counted from what is left in the bowl.
Cwie Mie
Thin egg noodles under minced chicken, with a bowl of broth on the side rather than poured over. Lighter than the Surabaya style, and the reason a Malang person will tell you their noodles are better than yours.
Rawon
Black beef soup, colored and soured by kluwek — a fermented nut that looks alarming and tastes like the inside of an earth oven. Served with bean sprouts, salted egg and a lump of rice.
Orem-orem
Tempeh and chicken simmered in coconut milk, eaten with rice cake. It is breakfast food: the stalls open at five and are gone by nine.
Apples, and what is done to them
Malang apples are small, green and sharp. They become cider, crisps, vinegar, jam and a brown fizzy drink sold at every bus terminal on the way out of the city.