Pempek
A Palembang specialty of fish cakes made from ground fish and tapioca starch, fried and served with a dark, sweet-sour vinegar sauce (cuko).
Allergen data cross-referenced against published allergen databases.
Your dietary restrictions
The full allergen breakdown is below. Select your restrictions to see a personalized safety status.
Full allergen breakdown
Ingredients
- ground fish (usually mackerel or tenggiri) (Fish)
- tapioca starch
- egg (in some varieties) (Egg)
- garlic
- cuko sauce (vinegar + brown sugar + garlic + dried shrimp + chili) (Shellfish)
Hidden Ingredients
These ingredients are not typically listed on menus but are present in traditional preparations.
- ground fish throughout the cake
- dried shrimp in the cuko sauce
- egg inside the kapal selam (submarine) variety
Allergen Breakdown
Dairy-Free
Likely OKNo dairy in pempek.
Gluten-Free
Likely OKTapioca starch is gluten-free.
Peanut-Free
Likely OKNo peanuts in pempek.
Tree Nut-Free
Likely OKNo tree nuts in pempek.
Shellfish-Free
Likely contains restrictionCuko sauce contains dried shrimp.
Egg-Free
Check with staffKapal selam variety contains a whole egg. Standard pempek may also contain egg.
Fish-Free
Likely contains restrictionGround fish is the primary ingredient.
Soy-Free
Likely OKNo soy in pempek.
Sesame-Free
Likely OKNo sesame in pempek.
Vegetarian
Likely contains restrictionContains fish.
| Restriction | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Dairy-Free | Likely OK | No dairy in pempek. |
| Gluten-Free | Likely OK | Tapioca starch is gluten-free. |
| Peanut-Free | Likely OK | No peanuts in pempek. |
| Tree Nut-Free | Likely OK | No tree nuts in pempek. |
| Shellfish-Free | Likely contains restriction | Cuko sauce contains dried shrimp. |
| Egg-Free | Check with staff | Kapal selam variety contains a whole egg. Standard pempek may also contain egg. |
| Fish-Free | Likely contains restriction | Ground fish is the primary ingredient. |
| Soy-Free | Likely OK | No soy in pempek. |
| Sesame-Free | Likely OK | No sesame in pempek. |
| Vegetarian | Likely contains restriction | Contains fish. |
Key risk: Pempek is made entirely from ground fish, making it unsafe for anyone with fish allergy. The cuko dipping sauce contains dried shrimp, adding shellfish. The kapal selam (submarine) variety has a raw egg cooked inside.
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