Traditional Cake — Indonesia
Kue Putu: Indonesian Treat Cakes with a Special Whistle
I don’t know if this cake is still sold nowadays. But I do know it isn’t as popular when I was a kid.
Last night, in the quiet hours before sleep, I found myself thinking about Kue Putu, a cake with a small green cylindrical form filled with palm sugar and grated coconut on top. I asked my husband if he knew it, and he did.
He said he used to get it from a vendor with a gerobak, a wheeled cart that is one of Indonesia’s traditional methods of selling street food. Then he added, “I don’t think that comes around these days in Indonesia.” I was thinking exactly the same thing.
I used to hear the special whistle that had become its character passing through my neighborhood every afternoon when I was a kid. But, as far as I recall, I never heard it again. I told him that I once spotted them going through where I lived again a couple of years ago.
I grabbed my phone and showed him the photos that I took when I bought Kue Putu. It was from a man on a motorcycle with a gerobak attached. Yes, a gerobak could be attached to a bicycle or motorcycle.
When I heard the steam whistle, I rushed outside and shouted “mamang*.” I raised my index finger, which means I want to buy one portion of Kue Putu.
*Mamang is the name I used to call the men’s street food vendor.
He stopped, got off the motorbike, and, with skilled hands, filled bamboo tubes with green rice flour (the green color is colored with pandan leaves), added palm sugar, and steamed them.
The steam released a sweet aroma that made my mouth water. I really loved that smell. After a short wait, the cooked Kue Putu was pushed out from the bamboo, and served with coconut grated.
As I grabbed the cake with my right hand, I tasted the softness. Then I put it into my mouth, where crumbly musky dough harmonized with the sweet dance of palm sugar, while the gentle chewiness of grated coconut added a delightful texture. This treat makes my taste buds happy.
I think the first cake that I would definitely look for when I go back to my hometown is Kue Putu. I’m hoping they still survive with a unique whistle.
Thank you for reading this story ❤