Alam Bahasa Indonesia

In traditional market you can find various traditional snacks, the traditional and modern ones. There are many of them made of cassava. They are among others gethuk, cemplon, lemet, putri solo, balok, alen-alen, gatot, thiwul, sawut, timus, tape dan cassava chips. Have you ever heard the word “singkong?” At a glance this word similar to the name of a big and horrible animal “kingkong”, but actually it has no relation to each other. Cassava plants or in Indonesian, famous as “singkong” or “ketela pohon” can be found in the village. Sometimes, people who live in the village eat cassava as their main menu like “nasi” or rice.
 

Are you still Indonesian ?

One day when I taught about “Eating Out” I asked my student who is from Europe, “Do you like “nasi”? “Yeah! How about You?” he asked me. “I don’t like nasi”, I answered. “So, you are not Indonesian, then!”, he said. We’re laughing.

Indonesian people eat “nasi” or “rice” every day. If they have no “nasi” on their main menu it means they haven’t yet eaten. In some places, it is difficult to find rice. Usually they will change “nasi” or “rice” with cassava, sago palm, or corn. Some Indonesian people said that “nasi” can not be replaced by any carbohydrate like bread, corn, noodle etc. So, if they just eat bread in their lunch they will say that they have not had lunch yet. What do you think about that?
 

Traditional snacks made from cassava

When I was a kid my Mom often bought me traditional snacks in the market. Mostly she bought traditional snacks made from cassava. Some of them are gethuk, cemplon, lemet, putrid solo, balok, alen-alen, gatot, thiwul, sawut, timus, tape and ceriping singkong. Funny names, aren’t they? We can buy these such snacks in almost every traditional market, especially in Java. How about the price? Don’t ever think that they are expensive! Even, for Indonesian people these traditional snacks are quite cheap. How about the taste? You can buy them at traditional market and try them, and I’m sure you will say “How delicious there are!”
 

Let’s go to the traditional market in jogjakarta…..!

Do you stay in Jogjakarta? And are you interested in trying these snacks? Let’s go to the traditional market.
 

In Yogyakarta traditional market

In Yogyakarta, traditional food which is made from cassava can be found at the traditional market and sometimes at supermarket. The sellers of traditional food (which are made from cassava) usually sell their stuffs traditionally too.
 

Various kinds of traditional food from cassava:

• Timus
• Tape
• Cemplon
• Alen-alen
• Gatot
• Gethuk
• Tiwul
• Sawut

How to make cemplon

Cemplon is made of grated cassava which is shaped like a ball, filled with melted brown sugar, and then fried. It is delicious to be eaten while hot. The delicate piquancy mixed together with melted brown sugar taste so delicious. It is not recommended eating Cemplon after being kept in the fridge, since it is going to be tough.
 

How to make gethuk

Gethuk, this kind of food is made of boiled cassava which is bruised and mixed with brown sugar. It is chopped into pieces after cold, and served with grated coconut on it. This sugary and piquant food is absolutely delicious.