Modest East Java food stalls offer escargot satay<\/p>\n
Text and photos by P.J. Leo<\/p>\n
KEDIRI, East Java (JP): You don't have to go to a classy
\nFrench restaurant to enjoy escargot. Supari and his family sells
\nthem at their modest food stall in the small village of Jengkol
\nin Plosoklaten subdistrict, 20 kilometers from Kediri.<\/p>\n
There you can find crackers and satay made of snails, locally
\ncalled bekicot, at low prices. Ten sticks of satay costs Rp 600,
\nwhile the crackers are sold at Rp 1,500, Rp 2,000 or Rp 3,500 per
\npackage, depending on package size.<\/p>\n
The snails (Achatina fulica) used to be the farmers' enemy
\nbecause they often destroyed crops. Since the 1970s, however,
\nthey have become the delicacy of the villagers.<\/p>\n
It all started when Supari's five-year-old sister suffered
\nfrom respiratory problems. Their father, Wagiman, had tried many
\nremedies unsuccessfully and almost gave up until he had a bright
\nidea. He decided to give her snails because he found that his
\nducks and fish, which ate them, looked healthy.<\/p>\n
It turned out that his daughter got well after eating the
\nsnail dishes.<\/p>\n
That inspired Wagiman to start his snail business, selling
\nsnail crackers and satay.<\/p>\n
After his death in 1992, his wife and five children took over
\nthe business.<\/p>\n
\"There is nothing more valuable that the skill of preparing
\nthe dishes we inherited from father,\" said eldest son Supari.<\/p>\n
He proudly said that from the snail business, his father was
\nable to send the children to school.<\/p>\n
\"Three of us have graduated from high school,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Other villagers have followed Wagiman's steps in the snail
\nbusiness. Beside selling snail satay and crackers, they also
\noffer the meat for Rp 10,000 per kilogram.<\/p>\n
Supari and his family handle between 2 tons and 3 tons of
\nescargot a day.<\/p>\n
They buy the snails for Rp 250 a kg. In the dry season, the
\nprice can increase to Rp 350 or even Rp 400 a kg. When there is a
\nshortage of snails, a broker brings them snails from other
\nvillages in the area.<\/p>\n
Supari and his family are assisted by 10 workers, who live in
\nthe neighborhood. They clean the snails at the Njambangan
\nriverside, about 200 meters from Supari's house.<\/p>\n
They also help cut the meat into pieces and put it onto sticks
\nfor the satay.<\/p>\n
The workers earn Rp 20,000 for cleaning one ton of snails and
\nanother Rp 10,000 for cutting the meat. They also make Rp 1,000
\nfor each 1,000 sticks of satay they make.<\/p>\n
\"We cook them and prepare the dishes ourselves,\" Supari said.<\/p>\n
Snails to be processed into crackers are boiled and then the
\nmeat is taken out of the shells. \"If they are used for satay, we
\nmust break the shells first, and then take out the meat and boil
\nit,\" Supari said.<\/p>\n
The rising price of cooking oil has caused a headache for the
\nfamily. With the low purchasing power of the buyers, Supari said
\nthey cannot increase product prices.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has exported escargot to several countries in Asia
\nand Europe. Most goes to France, when the snails are prepared as
\nexpensive dishes. But Supari only supplies the crackers and satay
\nfor local markets in East Java, and has no idea to export them.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/modest-east-java-food-stalls-offer-escargot-satay-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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