TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Diverse range of traditional snacks on offer during Ramadhan
Our specialty: A seller displays cara isi (bread with fish flakes), just one of the various types of traditional snacks on offer at her street stall in Gorontalo city
Change Size
O
span class="inline inline-center">Our specialty: A seller displays cara isi (bread with fish flakes), just one of the various types of traditional snacks on offer at her street stall in Gorontalo city. Many of the traditional snacks are exclusively offered during Ramadhan at relatively cheap prices. JP/Syamsul Huda M. Suhari
The fasting month of Ramadhan is a blessing for food vendors working in almost every corner of Gorontalo, on the island of Sulawesi.
People swarmed Ramadhan markets on Jl. HB Jassin, Jl. Sudirman, Jl. Panjaitan and Jl. Raja Eyato.
Traditional snacks that are usually only available at select locations are widely available during the fasting month and eagerly sought after by residents, especially as sunset and the time for the breaking of the fast nears.
Seasonal favorites like cara isi (bread sprinkled with fish flakes) are sold by vendors along the city streets. Lalampa (grilled sticky rice filled with fish filling and wrapped in banana leaf), can also be found.
For four pieces of the cake, the going-rate is about Rp 5,000 (43 US cents).
'That's the standard price. Customers can choose various types of cakes. Some vendors set higher prices, but for me the most important thing is that customers can afford to buy them,' said Karsum, 54, a snack vendor in Ki Modjo, Kota Tengah, Gorontalo City.
Karsum, a seasonal vendor who sells snacks from 2 pm to 6 pm local time, claims she can sell more than 300 pieces of cake per day during Ramadhan.
Customer Nur Hikmah said she prefers buying traditional snacks due to their variety and comparative affordability.
'Besides [during] Ramadhan, the snacks can only be found in traditional markets or cake shops, but lesser in variety,' said Nur.
Doni Hasan, 35, who sells ilabulo in Diponegoro, Gorontalo City, said demand for traditional cakes during Ramadhan was high. Ilabulo consists of either steamed or grilled sago filled with entrails and egg and wrapped in banana leaf.
On average, he added, he can sell 700 packs of Ilabulo cakes a day, but during Ramadhan he is able to sell 1,500 packs a day at Rp 4,000 a pack.
'Based on previous experience, sales rise sharply from the middle until the end of Ramadhan, when migrant Gorontalo residents buy them for gifts,' said Doni. Ilabulo stays edible for two days without
refrigeration.
A traditional cake that is popular in Java is lupis, which is a steamed glutinous rice covered in palm sugar that easily be found along the city streets. The snack is only available during Ramadhan.
'I don't know why lupis is only sold during Ramadhan,' said vendor Erni, 38, who has sold lupis every Ramadhan since 1996.
When it initially appeared, she added, many Gorontalo residents were unfamiliar with the taste, as they were more familiar with savory, salty and hot spicy flavors. In the long run, she said, the public came around and lupis became popular.
With an initial investment of Rp 3 million, Erni, a mother of three, claims she can turn a profit of at least Rp 1.5 million daily. She begins selling some 3,000 pieces of lupis at Rp 1,000 each starting at 2 p.m., all of which sell out moments before the fast-breaking.
'I save the profits for my children's education,' said Erni.
Besides lupis, Erni also sells other Gorontalo snacks, such as dadara and dadar gulung (pancakes), which are filled with sweet grated coconut filling.
Stalls selling snacks also serve beverages to break the fast, such as mung beans porridge and coconut water, both of which sell for between Rp 4,000 and Rp 5,000 per glass,
