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.

Jakarta Post

‘Takjil’ at Benhil, snack vendors dish up for Jakartans

Crowd favorite: Customers line up to buy takjil from a stall owned by Bobby and his sister Ema at Benhil Market in Jakarta

Budi Sutrisno (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Wed, May 22, 2019

Share This Article

Change Size

‘Takjil’ at Benhil, snack vendors dish up for Jakartans

Crowd favorite: Customers line up to buy takjil from a stall owned by Bobby and his sister Ema at Benhil Market in Jakarta.

Ramadan is an important month for Muslims, who believe it to be full of blessings before celebrating Idul Fitri, which will fall on June 5.

The annual fasting period is also a time for food and snack vendors at Bendungan Hilir (Benhil) Market to increase their profits by selling takjil (breaking-of-the-fast snacks).

Bobby, 38, and Ema, 55, are among the sellers. The siblings have been selling takjil during Ramadan for the last 25 years.

“We have to start preparing the food from early in the morning before setting them up at our stall by noon,” Bobby added.

Among the special takjil they sell are lemang (sugary rice cooked in hollowed bamboo), bugis ketan (cooked rice flour filled with brown sugar and grated coconut), ketupat (rice wrapped in palm leaves) and lupis (sugary rice served with grated coconut and palm sugar syrup).

Families get together to break-the-fast and enjoy the takjil they purchase at the market.

Fitri, 32, and her family are among regular visitors of the market

“I come here after working the whole day to hang out with them [her husband and two daughters],” she said.

Sweet and tasty: One of the most popular takjil delicacies is the lupis (sugary rice with grated coconut).
Sweet and tasty: One of the most popular takjil delicacies is the lupis (sugary rice with grated coconut).

Refresher: Sweet and sugary drinks often accompany breaking-of-the-fast snacks.
Refresher: Sweet and sugary drinks often accompany breaking-of-the-fast snacks.

Homemade: Bobby, a takjil seller, holds lemang (sugary rice cooked in hollowed bamboo).
Homemade: Bobby, a takjil seller, holds lemang (sugary rice cooked in hollowed bamboo).

Food hunting: People visit the market regularly during Ramadan to buy takjil.
Food hunting: People visit the market regularly during Ramadan to buy takjil.

Crispy chips: The market also offers savory snacks for those not in the mood for sweets.
Crispy chips: The market also offers savory snacks for those not in the mood for sweets.

— Photos by JP/Budi Sutrisno

{

Your Opinion Matters

Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.