Surabaya Revives Traditional Spiced Drinks Amid Trendy Coffee Culture

Surabaya — Amid the proliferation of trendy coffee and modern beverages in East Java, the aroma of ginger and spices continues to attract widespread attention. Traditional drinks are regaining popularity among the youth thanks to modernised concepts that align with contemporary lifestyles.

One example is Dawa Minuman Rempah, located in the Kedungdoro area. The stall adopts a kaki lima concept with traditional elements, but presents them in a modernised service style.

“This is a franchise system with 10 outlets in Surabaya. Ingredients are centrally supplied,” said the man known as Risal.

“It sells spiced drinks with a kaki lima concept mixed with modern presentation. Using pres glasses and sloki cups for serving,” he added.

Despite the modern appearance, preparation still follows traditional methods, being manually pounded. This makes the spiced drinks more appealing to younger customers without losing the authentic taste of traditional wedang.

“After that, it’s poured into glasses with palm sugar, etc. The packaging and presentation are modern,” he continued.

According to the Surabaya native, the current customer base is still dominated by adults and workers, but younger people are gradually starting to enjoy the traditional blends.

The stall offers around 13 menu variants, most using ginger, spices, palm sugar, honey, and lemongrass as base ingredients.

“All drinks have health benefits detailed in the menu booklet,” said M Afrisal.

“Sometimes customers order STMJ but without egg; we direct them to this drink so the milk flavour is more pronounced,” he added.

For customers over 40, the original menu with stronger spice notes and no milk is preferred.

“The standard Rempah Original consists of just ginger, spices, palm sugar, honey, and lemongrass — no added lemon or temulawak. It’s like traditional ginger wedang but with extra spices,” said the 33-year-old man.