S

URAKARTA: As many as 15,000 portions of free jenang (porridge), uniquely placed in takir (bowls made of coconut leaves), were served to people in Surakarta (Solo), Central Java, at the 2013 Jenang Festival on Sunday to commemorate the city’s 268th anniversary.

“Jenang is an inseparable part of the Javanese culture,” said Slamet Raharjo, the head of the 2013 Jenang Festival committee. Porridge is often used to symbolize the circle of life among Javanese. Dozens of communities set up booths in the Ngarsopuro area and provided a variety of porridge. Visitors had flocked the venue from 7 a.m., two hours before the festival had officially opened.

The main highlight of the festival was the jenang abang-putih (red and white), which symbolizes birth.

The white porridge was made of rice flour, coconut milk and salt, while the red was a combination of rice flour, coconut milk and palm sugar.

Every porridge marks different events. Jenang sumsum (made of rice flour and coconut milk with palm sugar sauce), for instance, is usually served during a tujuh bulanan (a ritual to celebrate and bless a mother in her seventh-month of pregnancy).

“Jenang abang-putih is a must-serve item during the festival. We are also providing jenang pati (made of starch and sliced sweet cassava), jenang sumsum, and jenang with sambal goreng (spicy dish),” said Purwani, 58, a representative of the Indonesia Confucianism Assembly (Makin).

Besides traditional Javanese porridge, visitors could also taste Chinese-style porridge such as quo ciu porridge (made of nine different beans), which denotes hope for a better life, and chicken porridge, which symbolizes unity and harmony.