Forget cheesecake, reach for 'gorengan'<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Let there be cheese cakes, muffins, biscuits or
\ndonuts, but when it comes to favorite snacks, nothing compares to
\ntraditional fried food or gorengan.<\/p>\n
It is tasty and cheap and you can find the vendors virtually
\non every street in the city, in housing complexes, in front of
\noffices, in alleyways and at bus terminals.<\/p>\n
There are various kind of gorengan including tempeh, tofu,
\nbanana, cassava, and bakwan (shredded carrot, cabbage, bean
\nsprouts and shallots mixed in batter).<\/p>\n
Sometimes the variety extends to fried sukun (breadfruit),
\npineapple or jackfruit.<\/p>\n
The food is first dipped into batter, before being deep fried
\nand displayed on the vendor's cart, with prices ranging from Rp
\n250 to Rp 300 a piece.<\/p>\n
Herti, 27, said that she buys the snack almost every day from
\nthe vendor in front of her office, a hotel in Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
"Usually for afternoon snacks, during break time with my
\nfriends," she said, adding that she spends some Rp 10,000 for the
\nsnacks, which she shares with her colleagues.<\/p>\n
"I know it's not good for my health or figure as it's greasy,
\nbut it's so addictive," she added, laughing.<\/p>\n
Like Herti, other people are probably fully aware that the
\nsnacks are far from hygienic as they are displayed in the carts,
\nwithout any "protection" from the street pollution. Yet, they
\nkeep on buying the food.<\/p>\n
If the snack is so popular, then the vendors must earn quite a
\nlot.<\/p>\n
"Not really. I mean, business is not bad. But considering the
\nongoing crisis and the rising prices, it gives me a headache
\ntoo," said Jani, 27, a vendor in front of Diner's Club at Jl.
\nJend. Sudirman, South Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Due to the recent fuel price hike and subsequent increase in
\nthe prices of basic goods, he has also increased the snack price
\nfrom Rp 250 to Rp 300.<\/p>\n
Most of his buyers are office employees who often buy the
\nsnacks to serve during meetings.<\/p>\n
Jani has been selling gorengan since 1990, when he migrated
\nfrom his hometown in Cirebon, West Java, to the capital to look
\nfor a job.<\/p>\n
First he helped his relatives sell gorengan, before going on
\nhis own several months later.<\/p>\n
"At first I went around Pejompongan area. But then I got
\ntired," he said.<\/p>\n
In 1995, Jani then got a place in Gang Buaya in Kalimati,
\nCentral Jakarta, where he also rented a house with his wife and
\ndaughter.<\/p>\n
"But the housing complex where I sold food was demolished and
\nreplaced by an industrial complex. I then moved to Kebayoran
\nLama," he said.<\/p>\n
Two years ago, he teamed up with one of his fellow vendors to
\nsell gorengan on Jl. Sudirman and in the Kebayoran Lama area.<\/p>\n
"We take it in turns every month. This month, I work here,
\nnext month, I'll be in Kebayoran Lama," he asserted.<\/p>\n
Even though he claimed that business was not that good, he
\nadmitted that his daily sales could reach an average of Rp
\n200,000 (US$20), while it costs him Rp 120,000 to purchase the
\nraw materials.<\/p>\n
Another vendor, Seno, said that everyday he needs some 16
\nkilograms of cooking oil, 20 kilograms of flour, vegetables,
\ntofu, tempeh and other raw material for the snacks worth some Rp
\n200,000.<\/p>\n
He earns up to Rp 300,000 a day.<\/p>\n
"So far though, I haven't increased the price of the snacks,"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
And Seno is still willing to give away his culinary secrets.<\/p>\n
"The number one thing is garlic. Drop in lots of garlic, it
\nwill taste good," he said.<\/p>\n
The snack may be tasty and addictive, but experts warned that
\nit has a bad effect on health.<\/p>\n
Nutritionist Kartini Sukardji from the University of Indonesia
\nsaid that consuming too much fried food can cause several health
\nproblems, such as high cholesterol.<\/p>\n
"Especially because vendors use the same cooking oil over and
\nover again," she told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Kartini also revealed research which shows that the gorengan
\nsold contained lead from vehicles' exhaust because the vendors
\nsold it in areas where traffic density was high.<\/p>\n
"Eating it once in a while is OK, but the problem is, most of
\nus eat it every day," she said.<\/p>\n
The vendors seem to be ignorant of health issues. When asked
\nabout the overused oil, Jani only smiled, saying that it would
\ncost him a lot of money if he changed the oil often.<\/p>\n
"Here, it's healthy," he laughed, while handing over a bag of
\ngorengan.(hdn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/forget-cheesecake-reach-for-gorengan-1447893297",
"image": ""
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