Dodol

Dodol
Assorted Garut dodols on display in Bandung, the most popular variant of Dodol
Type Confectionery
Place of origin Indonesia[1]
Region or state Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Brunei, Sri Lanka
Created by Ethnic Javanese
Main ingredients Coconut milk, jaggery, rice flour

Dodol is a sweet toffee-like sugar palm-based confection commonly found in Southeast Asia and South Asia.[2] It is popular in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, the Philippines, South India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Burma, where it is called mont kalama. It is made from coconut milk, jaggery, and rice flour, and is sticky, thick, and sweet.[3][1]

Cultural significance

In Muslim majority countries, such as Indonesia and Malaysia, dodol is commonly served during festivals, such as Eid ul-Fitr and Eid al-Adha as sweet treats for children.[4][3] The Betawi people take pride in making homemade dodol during the Lebaran (Eid ul-Fitr), where family members will gather together to make dodol. Traditional home made dodol Betawi production center is located in Pasar Minggu area, South Jakarta.[5] The town of Garut in West Java is the main production center of dodol in Indonesia. In Indonesia, durian dodol is popular in Medan and other Sumatran cities. Many flavors of dodol are available, including a durian flavor called lempuk, which is available in Asian food stores.

Dodol is also popular among the Roman Catholics from the Indian west coast, also known as the former Estado da Índia Portuguesa, which includes East Indians from Mumbai, the state of Goa, and the city of Mangalore. Dodol Hj Ideris manufactures dodol and the company has now entered the Middle Eastern market, including Iran.[6]

History

The history of dodol production is closely related to one of its main ingredients, gula aren or palm sugar, a traditional sugar made from the sap of Arenga pinnata plant, and also rice flour. It is a popular sweet treats and one of oldest indigenous sweets developed in the Maritime Southeast Asia. The exact origin of dodol is unclear, nevertheless, dodol shows its remarkable diversity in the island of Java and Sumatra.[4] In Javanese language it is called jenang, while in Sundanese of West Java and Malay it is called as "dodol".

The word "Dodol" appeared in A grammar and dictionary of the Malay language: with a preliminary ... , Volume 2 By John Crawfurd, printed in 1852.[7]

Dodol is believed to have been introduced to Southern India and Sri Lanka by Malay migrants,[8][9] perhaps from Indonesia.[10] It has also been attributed to the Portuguese, who occupied parts of the country during the 16th and 17th centuries.[11] Several dodol recipe has been developed in Sri Lanka, such as kalu dodol.

Preparation

Dodol susu, milk-based dodol from Pangalengan, Bandung

Dodol is made from coconut milk, jaggery, and rice flour, and is sticky, thick, and sweet. The cooking process would reduce the contents up to half as the liquid evaporates. It normally takes up to 9 hours to cook. During the entire cooking process, the dodol must be constantly stirred in a big wok. Pausing in between would cause it to burn, spoiling the taste and aroma. The dodol is completely cooked when it is firm, and does not stick to one's fingers when touching it.[1]

Variants

A sample of durian cake made from durian-flavoured lempok,[12] which is similar, but is not toffee-like dodol.

The Indonesians are the most adventurous and creative in concocting dodol. There are interesting varieties such as dodol garut, dodol kacang hijau (mung beans), dodol bengkoang (jicama), dodol nangka (jackfruit), dodol ubi talam (yam), dodol sirsak (soursop), dodol tomat (tomato), dodol tape (tapai), dodol apel malang (apple), dodol salak, dodol rumput laut (seaweed), dodol pisang (banana), dodol nenas (pineapple), dodol mangga (mango), and dodol lidah buaya (Aloe vera). Then there is dodol betawi, which takes a bit more effort to make as it utilises white and black glutinous rice.[4]

The variants among others are:

  • Dodol garut is produced in Garut, a regency of West Java province, Indonesia.
  • Dodol durian contains durian.
  • Dodol sirsak contains soursop.
  • Dodol nangka contains jackfruit.
  • Dodol apel Malang contains apple, and is a specialty of Malang city, East Java.
  • Dodol susu is from Pangalengan, Bandung, West Java. It contains milk.
  • Dodol China is an Indonesian Chinese version of sweet nian gao with rich coconut sugar.
  • Dodol Betawi is made by the Betawi people in Jakarta, and is similar to Chinese dodol.
  • Kalu Dodol ("Black Dodol") is a Sri Lankan sweet with kithul (Caryota urens) jaggery.
  • Kiri Dodol ("Milk Dodol") is a Sri Lankan Dodol with milk and cinnamon.

Pejorative meaning

In Indonesia's popular culture, 'dodol' in colloquial Indonesian can also be used as a slang for the word 'bodoh' to refer a person as being 'stupid' or 'illogical'. It is impolite to refer a person as 'dodol'.[13]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Wibisono Notodirdjo (7 August 2011). "Sweet treats from the past". The Jakarta Post. Jakarta.
  2. ↑ "What Is Dodol?". wiseGEEK.
  3. 1 2 Bhuwon Sthapit; Hugo A.H. Lamers; V. Ramanatha Rao; Arwen Bailey, eds. (2016). Tropical Fruit Tree Diversity: Good Practices for in Situ and On-farm Conservation, Issues in Agricultural Biodiversity. Routledge. ISBN 9781317636229.
  4. 1 2 3 Zieman (21 June 2014). "Dodol: Sticky treat for Hari Raya". The Star online.
  5. ↑ "Menengok Pabrik Dodol Betawi Haji Tholib, Banyak Dapat Pesanan". Warta Kota (in Indonesian). 25 October 2016.
  6. ↑ Market For Dodol Hj Ideris Expands To Middle East
  7. ↑ A grammar and dictionary of the Malay language: with a preliminary ..., Volume 2 By John Crawfurd- 1852, page 43
  8. ↑ Kuruvita, Peter (2011). Serendip: The Collection. Murdoch Books. p. 134. ISBN 9781742669854.
  9. ↑ Gunawardena, C. A. (2005). Encyclopedia Of Sri Lanka. Sterling Publishers. p. 97. ISBN 9781932705485.
  10. ↑ Guruge, Ananda (2003). Serendipity of Andrew George. AuthorHouse. pp. 402–403. ISBN 9781410757029.
  11. ↑ Handunnetti, Dilrukshi (28 February 1999). "Hambantota: the kalu dodol capital". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
  12. ↑ Molesworth Allen, Betty (1967). Malayan fruits: an introduction to the cultivated species. Singapore: D. Moore Press. p. 99.
  13. ↑ Yusup Priyasudiarja (2010). Kamus Gaul Percakapan Bahasa Inggris Indonesia-Inggris. PT Mizan Publika. ISBN 9791284733.
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