Iyung the Butcher: 47 Years of Qurban Slaughter

At 64 years old, Iyung remains busy moving between locations to slaughter animals for Qurban during Eid al-Adha. The senior butcher from Tanah Abang claims to have been in the trade since the age of 17. Even on regular days, he says he can slaughter dozens to hundreds of animals. “It’s not a matter of cutting once or twice a month. Every day, not yearly. Every day, I slaughter 150, 100, down to 50,” Iyung said when interviewed in Kebon Sirih, Central Jakarta, on Wednesday (27 May 2026) during the Qurban slaughter. Iyung stated that his butchering skills were inherited from his family, continuing his grandfather’s work and learning many slaughter techniques from relatives. He explained that being a butcher requires more than courage; it demands experience and proper technique, including using a sharp knife to ensure a safe process. “I’m scared of Bali cattle. There was an incident where an ustad was stabbed,” he said. He explained that injured or bleeding-from-the-nose cattle are harder to control and dangerous for inexperienced butchers. Iyung also shared the family’s basic technique for slaughtering goats. The position of the cut is crucial for the slaughter process. “If you cut here (upper part), it takes longer to die. For goats. If here, lower, middle,” he demonstrated by showing the cutting position on the animal’s neck. He explained that slaughtering should be done in the middle of the neck for a quicker and more precise process.