Hunting the Betawi culinary in Setu Babakan during Lebaran

Setu Babakan in South Jakarta where the people of Betawi (local tribe in Jakarta) mostly live there, their location precisely in Srengseng Sawah, Jagakarsa District, South Jakarta.

This area is known to be a unique tourist attraction with shady trees and adorn the lake breeze, the atmosphere is quiet cool tube, a tribal village Betawi cultural heritage, not surprisingly, been ahead of Lebaran or Hari Raya Idul Fitri (Eid ul-Fitr) various cooking activities can be found there during progress.

Betawi tribe has been known for its distinctive culinary variety, especially at Setu Babakan region, which is preferably Betawi culinary such as dodol Betawi, tape uli, kerak telor and Pletok beer. Travellers have known this since long ago, they came to the Setu Babakan to watch how the making-process and then enjoy the culinary delicacies.

The sweet taste of Dodol Betawi, sticky and tasty always arise during Lebaran or by order, not much more to know the recipes of this kind typical dodol Betawi. One of the famous maker is Mpok May, even though the creators have died, but the trademark has been known since the first of her kind culinary, Dodol Mpok May.

The process of dodol making is very complicated and takes a long time, so they just make the existing order, as for dodol materials consists of white rice, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and coconut milk. These materials are then mixed and then cooked in a batter using firewood.

Dodol mixed dough is still watery stirring gently over a large cauldron (kenceng) in diameter approximately 1 meter, up to about 6-8 hours. The process is very tiring!

What about Pletok beer? Well, this kind of typical traditional drink of Betawi this one has a different story and has been known since time immemorial of Dutch age who also likes this Pletok beer, one of the famous author is Mpok Yanti. This drink is not intoxicating, even healthy the body.

The basic ingredients to make Pletok beer is an extract of ginger, sugar, essence of basil flowers, and roots and the beer dye using a mixture powder cup of secang wood, so the beer version of this Betawi turned red. Can be served in hot conditions or in the cold, great!

Be prepared to feel the heat when the Pletok beer first touched the tongue, spicy taste! Haha... The body will immediately feel warm and tongue get used to the sensation of spicy ginger juice. Please be sure to try this beer at Setu Babakan and the locals will show where the home maker, Mpok Yanti or can buy in some shops there.

If you still have time, also could taste other Betawi culinary in this region, such as spicy beef stew, Betawi fried fish, kerak telor, ketupat Betawi, tape uli, rocking flower cake (kue kembang goyang), and rengginang. All is special and return to the culinary creations enliven the locals in a celebration of such Lebaran moments, hereditary tradition inherited from the ancestral past.

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(Various sources Kompas, Mr. Rohmat Dasim /Images R. Dasim and CC)