Reason Fried Grasshopper Seller in Gunungkidul Stuffed Jars with Cardboard
The Tourism, Creative Economy, Youth and Sports Agency (Disparekrafpora) of Gunungkidul has visited a fried grasshopper seller who went viral for stuffing jars with cardboard to make them appear full. The seller claimed the price of grasshoppers, known locally as walang, is currently high.
Head of Disparekrafpora Gunungkidul, Hary Sukmono, said the agency visited the seller near the JJLS Tourist Levy Collection Point (TPR) to seek clarification. “The seller admitted to packaging the fried grasshoppers in jars that were stuffed with cardboard inside,” he said when contacted by detikJogja on Wednesday afternoon (19/8/2026).
The seller told Disparekrafpora that the cardboard was used for efficiency because the price of fried grasshoppers is currently rising. “According to the statement, the seller stuffed the packaging with cardboard because the price of fried grasshoppers is currently high, at Rp 500,000 per kilogram,” he said.
Disparekrafpora then asked the seller to package the fried grasshoppers in containers whose size matches the contents. “And to make a sticker to be affixed to the packaging that includes net weight information so it is more informative for buyers,” he said.
Hary also said that Disparekrafpora advised the seller to include a contact number on the label of the fried grasshoppers being sold. “The seller accepted the input and suggestions we provided. Going forward, they will also include the seller’s mobile number so that if there are complaints, buyers can contact the seller directly,” he said.
Head of Destination Development at Disparekrafpora Gunungkidul, Nanang Putranto, added that the seller also admitted to not having smaller jars, which forced the seller to resort to such a practice. “We also asked that the container be adjusted to the price offered, so it should not be stuffed and so on,” he said.
Nanang also asked the seller, if unable to afford jars, to sell the fried grasshoppers by weight. “Or just have it weighed, so many grams, so buyers know exactly what they are getting,” he said.
It was previously reported that a post by a tourist who was a victim of a packaged fried grasshopper seller in Gunungkidul went viral on social media. The tourist felt cheated after the jar of fried grasshoppers was stuffed with cardboard to make it look full.
“Scams at tourist attractions never end. One of them is the fried grasshopper scam that looks full but was actually stuffed with cardboard to make it look full. The incident occurred on 16 August 2026 in front of the Gunung Kidul Beach TPR at around 09.30 WIB. The perpetrator was a woman. The price was Rp 35,000 per box without bargaining by the participant I was accompanying. I hope all perpetrators and residents around Gunung Kidul beach see this post and the unscrupulous trader repents,” said the Threads account @farakhi as seen by detikJogja today.