Garuda Indonesia Colours Magazine March 2019 | Page 65

Explore | Flavours
Light and refreshing
as a dessert, yet satisfying
and nutritious as a main
course, bubur is an amazingly
versatile dish with a
philosophical backstory.
The clock shows quarter to nine in the
morning as I hear the familiar ‘ting’ sound
from the street in front of my house. A regular
hawker is passing by, tapping a spoon on a bowl
to attract attention, his food cart fitted with
a large aluminium stockpot, ice container
and glass jars, selling bubur sumsum. Bubur
means ‘porridge’, and sumsum literally means
‘marrow’; the creamy, coconut milk-boiled
rice flour is pure white, like marrow.
Bubur sumsum is typically served after a
wedding party or traditional ceremony.
As it symbolises strength, this is believed to
help those who participated in organising the
party to regain their energy, as well as being a
means of expressing gratitude from the host.
Nowadays, bubur bought on the streets
often gets a little twist. Pandanus leaves
give bubur sumsum a green hue and vendors
serve it with ice cubes. You can also get bubur
candil (made from glutinous rice and tapioca
flour or sweet potato) and bubur mutiara (sago
pearl pudding). “Serving only sumsum is less
appealing to the customers,” explained the
hawker, when I asked about the two other
bubur variants. “As you can see, the green
sumsum, the brown candil and the red mutiara,
dressed in melted palm sugar and coconut
milk sauce, make a feast for the eyes as well
as the palate,” he added. The combination
also enhances the richness of taste.
As a matter of fact, this kind of bubur
combination is actually similar to bubur
madura, a speciality of Madura Island, off the
northeast coast of Java, missing only bubur
ketan hitam (black glutinous rice pudding).
However, when you combine bubur sumsum
with ice cubes, cuts of steamed plantain, red
cocopandan syrup and condensed milk, you
get yourself an es pallu butung, a delight of
Makassar, South Sulawesi. This simple
dessert is quite the favourite on a hot day,
and you can either make it yourself at
home or buy it from street vendors.
Marvellous Treats with Messages
Indonesians divide bubur into two categories:
a sweet porridge eaten as dessert, associated
with traditional rituals, and a savoury version
eaten as a main course. The sweet taste of
bubur candil, also known as kolak biji salak,
or jenang grendul in Solo, Central Java, for
instance, is a kind of dessert served at family
gatherings. The sweet, chewy balls – made
from glutinous rice flour and tapioca flour
1
or sweet potato, with melted palm sugar and
coconut milk dressing – are symbols of living
in harmony, despite the diversity of life.
2
Bubur ketan hitam, also known as ketan item
or bubuh injin in Bali, has a symbolic meaning
as well. Just like the sticky, hard-to-part nature
of glutinous rice, the dessert is a reminder
(perhaps a wish as well) that a good, not-
easily-broken relationship should be
maintained. Glutinous rice is also presented
during a traditional Javanese engagement
party as a reminder to the future wedded
couple to always stick together and not
easily be parted, just like ketan!
Bubur ketan item is perfect to enjoy as a sweet
treat in the morning, at tea time, or indeed at
any time of the day, either with the addition of
ice cubes or served warm. It is so ubiquitous
that you can easily find it being sold from food
carts, tent shops or warungs (small shops).
Bubur ketan item is often presented with bubur
kacang hijau or bubur kacang ijo (Indonesian
mung-bean congee), topped with coconut
1 The balls of glutinous rice are symbols of
living in harmony.
2 Luscious Maluku papeda, served as a
main course, with side dishes.
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