Pempek calories
Palembang fish cakes made from mackerel and sago or tapioca, fried and served with a sweet and sour palm sugar sauce (cuko), yellow noodles and cucumber.

Quick answer
A typical serving of Pempek (1 pempek kapal selam (with egg inside) with cuko, noodles and cucumber) has about 380 kcal. Most servings fall between 250 and 600 kcal, depending on the portion and the recipe.
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 65 g
- Fat
- 9 g
Nutrition facts per serving
Serving: 1 pempek kapal selam (with egg inside) with cuko, noodles and cucumber, about 250 g.
| Nutrient | Amount | Share of calories |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 380 kcal | 100% |
| Protein | 9 g | 10% |
| Carbohydrates | 65 g | 69% |
| Fat | 9 g | 21% |
Calories in common versions
| Version | Typical calories |
|---|---|
| Pempek lenjer (long roll), 1 piece with cuko | 320 kcal |
| Pempek adaan (round), 5 small pieces with cuko | 310 kcal |
| Pempek kapal selam without cuko | 300 kcal |
What drives the calories
- Pempek is mostly sago or tapioca starch, so most of the calories come from carbs.
- Frying adds oil, and small round pieces take up more oil than one large piece.
- Cuko is made with palm sugar, and a small bowl adds about 80 kcal.
How to make it lighter
- Choose boiled pempek when the stall offers it.
- Dip the pempek in cuko instead of drinking the sauce.
- Skip the extra noodles.
How to log Pempek in Nibbs
Note the type and the number of pieces, for example 1 kapal selam or 5 adaan, because each type has a different size. Nibbs then estimates the portion and the calories for your actual plate, and you can edit any item before you save it.
Pempek calorie questions
How many calories are in pempek?
A pempek kapal selam with cuko, noodles and cucumber has about 380 kcal. Most servings fall between 250 and 600 kcal, depending on the type, the number of pieces and the amount of cuko.
How many calories are in cuko?
A small bowl of cuko (about 60 g) has about 80 kcal, mostly from palm sugar. Dipping the pempek instead of drinking the sauce cuts this down.
Is pempek high in protein?
Not very. Pempek has fish, but sago or tapioca makes up most of the dough. A kapal selam with its egg has about 9 g of protein.
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