Arsik Arsik Arsik is an Indonesian spicy fish dish of the Batak Toba and Mandailing people of North Sumatra, usually using the common carp (known in Indonesia as "ikan mas" or gold fish). Distinctively Batak elements of the dish are the use of torch ginger fruit ("asam cikala"), and "andaliman" (Indonesian szechuan pepper). Common Indonesian spices such as shallots, garlic, ginger, fresh turmeric root and chili are also used. Andaliman, essential for the distinctive taste of the dish, is known to grow only in the Batak highlands above 1500 metres of North Tapanuli and Samosir, hence this dish is regarded as
Indonesian cuisine in many recipes. Whole, halved, or crushed peanuts are used to garnish a variety of dishes, and used in marinades and dipping sauces such as "sambal kacang" (a mixture of ground chilies and fried peanuts) for "otak-otak" or "ketan". Peanut oil, extracted from peanuts, is one of the most commonly used cooking oils in Indonesia. "Bumbu kacang" or peanut sauce represents a sophisticated, earthy seasoning rather than a sweet, gloppy sauce. It should have a delicate balance of savoury, sweet, sour, and spicy flavours, acquired from various ingredients, such as fried peanuts, "gula jawa" (coconut sugar), garlic, shallots, ginger, tamarind,