The Darussalam Mosque in Jayengan village in Serengan, Surakarta, Central Java, has a unique tradition of distributing bubur samin (ghee congee) to local residents for the breaking of the fast during the entire month of Ramadhan.

The dish, the recipe of which originated in Banjar, South Kalimantan, was named after minyak samin (ghee), one of its main ingredients.

The chairman of the mosque'€™s management, Rosyidi Muchdlor, said many Banjar migrants migrated to Surakarta in the early 1900s to trade gemstones from Martapura. While in Surakarta, they settled in Jayengan.

'€œThey came in groups and finally moved to Jayengan,'€ he said on Monday, adding that it was this ethnic group that had first introduced bubur samin to local residents.

The tradition of distributing the congee to locals, according to Rosyidi, started in 1911, when Banjar traders cooked it to be enjoyed by Banjar migrants when breaking the fast.

They soon started distributing the congee to neighbors.

'€œThe congee was initially prepared only for the mosque'€™s congregation members. Since many local residents wanted to taste the dish, the mosque later cooked more to distribute to locals for free,'€ Rosyidi said.

At a glance, bubur samin, which is also known as Banjar congee, looks like any other congee. It is made of rice and other ingredients and spices, including coconut milk, dairy milk and beef. It has a stronger smells because of Arabic cardamom and ghee. The ingredients make the congee yellowish in color. The mosque'€™s cooks usually start cooking the congee at noon and finish by 3 p.m. every day.

The mosque management needs at least 40 kilograms of rice for the dish, to be served to some 600 people.

'€œOf the 600 portions we prepare, 500 are distributed for free to the people while the remaining 100 are served to break the fast at the mosque,'€ said Anwar, a member of the mosque'€™s management.

At about 4 p.m. local time, hundreds of people flock to the mosque carrying containers for the congee. They are not just from the neighborhood but also from other villages such as Laweyan, Semanggi, Pajang, Cemani, Banjarsari and Mojosongo.

While some people immediately return home after filling their containers, others prefer to stay at the mosque to perform Maghrib evening prayer and enjoy the congee on the spot.

'€œEveryone is welcome to take the congee home,'€ Anwar said.

Another unique serving of the mosque is coffee with milk, which is prepared by mixing and brewing coffee, milk and water together in a drum.

For the congee and coffee, according to Rosyidi, the management spends Rp 1.5 million (US$112) every day, which is collected from visitors and regular donors.

'€œThe tradition has been around for decades. That'€™s why regular donors help us preserve it,'€ he said.

Islamic teachings require every adult Muslim to fast during Ramadhan. During the month, a Muslim is not allowed to eat or drink from dawn until dusk. This year'€™s Ramadhan began on June 18 and is expected to finish on July 16, followed by the Idul Fitri holiday.

Agung Pramono, a Jayengan resident, said that bubur samin was something that he and other people in the region always waited for during the fasting month.

'€œI can never get enough of it, even though I eat the dish every day,'€ he said.

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