'Nekara' business thriving in hi-tech era

By Bambang Mujiono

TEGAL, Central Java (JP): Despite the presence of electronic home appliances, the making of traditional cooking utensils from copper is still in full swing in Tegal, an industrial city in the northern coastal area of Central Java.

The utensils being produced are copper nekara, (a large drum- shaped rice steamer) and a smaller version called moko, both believed to date back to prehistoric times.

For many generations, villagers in Kebasen village, Talang subdistrict in Tegal, have been earning a living by running the business of making and selling copper nekara and moko, both locally called copper dandang (rice steamers).

"Our village is renowned as a place where copper cooking utensils are made. I am the fifth generation to run this business," said Slamet, 61, one of the producers who is also one of the village's elders.

He said despite the availability of electronic cooking utensils, nekara and moko still enjoyed a share of the market, comparable to that of other industrial products.

In the northern coastal area of Java, nekara is widely used to cook rice in lower-class food stalls, and is comparable in popularity with aluminum rice steamers. A nekara, measuring 1.5 meters in height with a diameter of 0.7 meter, has a capacity of 70 kilograms of rice.

It is also practical to use. According to Sugianto, owner of a number of Tegal food stalls in Jakarta, rice cooked in nekara will taste softer and smell better although the cooking process is longer compared to an aluminum rice steamer.

Meanwhile, moko is a popular item presented as part of a dowry during engagement or a wedding ceremony.

Apart from meeting local demand, the makers of nekara and moko in Kebasen also receive orders for their products from the United States, Australia, China and India.

Every week, the makers place an average of 1,000 nekara and moko in a shop, which serves as a broker for their orders from overseas. Every month, a total of 70,000 nekara and moko are produced in Kebasen village.

Azis, one of the makers and an owner of three shops selling nekara and moko on Jl. Talang, said most overseas orders came from Asian countries with China at the top of the list, ordering at least 30,000 nekara and moko.

"This may be related to history. Nekara and moko are believed to have originated from Dongson culture, in what was then known as Indochina and brought to Indonesia in the 1500s," said Aziz, who claimed he had 30 years experience in the business which he inherited from his parents.

Another owner of U.D. Lancar shop on Jl. Talang, M. Pedro, 38, said besides China, orders also come from European countries and the United States.

He explained that European and American buyers usually use the copper cooking utensils as ornaments, accessories for their living rooms.

"It is very likely that Indonesia is the only country where nekara and moko are still made. That's why demand for these two items keeps rising," Pedro said.

Prices of nekara and moko depend on the prevailing market price of copper. A 4.5 kg moko measuring 40 cm high with a diameter of 25 cm is sold at Rp 50,000.

"This is the current price because a kilogram of copper now costs Rp 30,000. The sales of nekara and moko are highly influenced by the fluctuation of the rupiah to the U.S. dollar," explained Pedro, an architect who graduated from the Bandung Institute of Technology. He is more interested in running the business than working as a architect.

In the business, most nekara and moko makers rely on their own money to run the business instead of depending on loans offered by banks and state-owned enterprises through local cooperative offices. The makers argue that their profits are enough to run and develop their business.

"With an increase of orders from overseas, we won't face problems with money," Pedro said.