Nasi goreng often starts as a clever way to use up leftover rice. Cooking rice from cold in a hot pan makes it crispy on the edges and chewy in the middle. The soy sauce, kecap manis, is much sweeter and thicker than the soy sauce you might find in other countries - it almost looks like syrup.
Every Indonesian family has its own version. Some add prawns, some add chicken, some keep it simple with just rice and egg. A fried egg with a runny yolk is usually placed on top. Prawn crackers - light, crunchy, puffy pink discs called krupuk - sit on the side, ready to be snapped off and crunched.
Nasi goreng kampung means 'village-style fried rice' - a simple, country version with little anchovies and chilli. Some street stalls in Indonesia, called warungs, do nothing but nasi goreng - and every customer has their own favourite stall.
In a famous global travel-website poll, nasi goreng came in second place out of every dish in the world. Most Indonesians weren't surprised at all - they have always known their fried rice was something special.