Gianyar, Regency

"Jaja Gambir"
Sweet and Sticky Cake for Souvenir

As visitor, you definitely wish to bring home some distinctive souvenirs of Bali. Souvenirs are not only in the form of handicrafts such as works of art, but also assorted food like cake, confectionery and so forth. Especially for refreshment, there are several kinds of cake on sale at market, supermarket or tourist object. One of them is ‘jaja gambir’.
Called jaja gambir (jaja stands for cake) as this cake is black just like gambier (gambier, as colloquial name, is also applied to Acacia catechu, a legume that produces a dark gambier used primarily in the tanning industry). This cake frequently goes by the name of ‘kue ku’ (Chinese). By now, this cake is indeed produced by Chinese descendants, or at least, the Balinese who have learned to make this cake from a Chinese.
Today, jaja gambir has become a part of Balinese people. Other than often being used for filler of pajegan offerings on the Galungan and Kuningan feast day, it is also used as refreshment while drinking tea or coffee.
There are some villages in Bali that traditionally make this cake. On the whole, these villages are situated in Gianyar Regency such as the Sukawati, Blahbatuh or Tulikup. At Tulikup village, there remain some five makers of this cake. One of them is Jero Tapakan Mastra (73).
Mastra commenced his work 25 years ago and remains to exist up to these days. "This work is flourishing because my wife learned from her parents that still have Chinese blood," said Mastra who is also a priest of a temple at Tulikup village.
As a small entrepreneur, Mastra employs 5 daily workers from his neighbourhood. "Averagely, I require 3-5 kg of sticky rice flour to make this gambier cake. Then, I sell these cakes to local markets such as the Sukawati, Kumbasari, Klungkung markets and other shops."
"However, upon receiving order, I increase its volume into 7-10 kg, particularly on the Galungan and Kuningan," observed Mastra to Bali Travel News while showing the making process of the gambier cake.
To make mouth-watering and sticky cake as well as lasting up to six days is not an easy matter. It takes him some 6-7 hours a day with an adequately complicated process.
First thing first, its raw ingredients are finely milled. They are white sticky rice, green bean, brown sugar, refined sugar and taro’s stem (as natural preservative and colouring agent). Especially, the taro’s stem applied is that has been preserved over the fireplace for 7-10 years. The selected stem is boiled and ground finely. Afterwards, it is mixed with the flour of white sticky rice and brown sugar and then boiled in a huge frying pan and stirred again and again up to well done and gets thicker.
When already cold, the black and thick batter is taken for some half of the thumb, inserted with the mixture of green pea and refined sugar. Then, covered and shaped roundly, wrapped with some 5-7 pieces of bamboo leaves and fastened with string. Having wrapped and fastened all, they are steamed for two hours. Take out and let them get cooler. It’s ready to sell.
A bunch or string consists of 10 wraps of gambier cake and sold at different price. "For a traditional market, it is sold at IDR 3,000 per bunch, while for personal order at IDR 5,000-10,000 as they are specially made. Even, its flavour is more succulent," told Mastra.
Get interested? Simply make a try of a bunch of this cake and taste. Should you wish to order for souvenir with special size and taste, go to Tulikup Village, Gianyar. (BTN/tar)