Indisch

Indisch is a Dutch adjective and noun referring to things connected with the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) or the historical colonial culture that developed there. In Dutch usage, Indisch can describe people, cuisine, architecture, and other cultural forms linked to the Indies.

The term has two main strands: a historical-cultural one, tied to the colonial period from the 17th to mid-20th centuries, and a modern usage that survives in culinary and cultural references.

Historically, Indisch described objects and people from the Dutch East Indies and later the broader cultural sphere of the Indies. It also designated people of mixed European and Indonesian ancestry, often referred to as Indo or Indische Nederlanders. The term remains common in older and contemporary contexts, but contemporary preferences sometimes prefer Indonesisch or Indonesian for nationality and Indonesian culture.

In culture, Indisch is closely associated with culinary traditions that emerged from the Dutch colonial era, such as the Indische rijsttafel, a lavish spread of Indonesian dishes adapted for Dutch tastes. It also appears in architecture and art, where colonial-era buildings blend Dutch and Indonesian motifs.

Today, in the Netherlands and other Dutch-speaking areas, Indisch can evoke historical associations with the Indies and the Indo diaspora, while Indonesisch or Indonesian is preferred for contemporary identification. The term remains a marker of a specific historical-cultural complex rather than a simple synonym for Indonesian.