In Indonesia, what is a "kaki lima"?

In Indonesia as in many Asian countries, one can buy street food readily and cheaply, often from carts which ply the streets.

Indonesian street food is colloquially called kaki lima or "five-feet". One source describes five feet as "five foot way pedestrian pavements along the street" being a reference to an architectural structure with covered walkway and serves as a pavement seen in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia.

A more accurate and simple explanation might be to describe it as follows:

kaki = feet

lima = five

The cart is pulled by a human, the cart having two wheels plus a stand at the front for balance when stationary. Add to this the human's legs. Thus we have the "five feet" - 2 wheels,1 stand, 2 legs.

These simple carts are not only used to transport street food. One can also see ice sellers, brush and broom sellers and hawkers with small laundry needs transporting their wares door-to-door on a kaki lima.

More Info: en.wikipedia.org

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15 Comments

John McLardie

From the reference the phrase 'kaki lima; would appear to apply, in translation, to the actual street vendor not to his/her cart. This needs to be cross-checked as street vendors do not all use carts. Some use permanent booths, carts, stalls, rods, poles, etc. Street vendors (kaki lima) use all methods to transport and sell food.

Dog001

Kaki Lima translated means "Five Feet". It refers to the five feet wide sidewalks where street vendors park their carts and sell their goods. It was the required width of the sidewalk along main roads, as required by the Dutch during colonialism. Five feet was established to allow enough room for pedestrians to walk, whether or not vendors carts were present. In modern times, Kaki Lima may of become slang or an idiom for the Food Carts, but that's not what the question is asking. What is a Kai Lima? It's the sidewalk.

Mary Gini Fudge Chapman

I agree, John. It also refers to the pedestrian walkway along the street being a reference to an architectural structure with a covered walkway and serves as a pavement.

vonlora

always thought it had to do with the introduction of a new food

Steve Tingle

Went with picture, missed the meaning of Lima=5 which is the same as Malay which I have a smattering of.

Chris Braid

Explanation does not match up with the Answer.

earlepg

All the comments about it's being wrong aside, I do appreciate the picture used as a clue (even though it gave the answer away).

terry makkm

'kaki lima' by itself is never used to mean a cart. It is always used in conjunction with another word to have meaning. Eg. Jalanan kaki lima - small pedestrian walkway, Warung kaki lima - cart or small stall.

Silvia Levame

Indonesian street food often colloquially called as kaki lima (Indonesian for "five-feet") or jajanan kaki lima ("five-feet buys"), which refer to five foot way pedestrian pavements along the street that often occupied by street hawkers selling food.