Traces of Community Solidarity in Cirebon Through a Bowl of Ramadan Porridge
Cirebon (ANTARA) — The house looks weary with age. Its wall paint is no longer even. The wooden windows have faded, and the white pillars on its terrace bear the marks of time.
Passers-by along Jalan Pekarungan, Panjunan Village, Cirebon, West Java, might walk straight past without a second glance. At first sight, there is nothing remarkable about the old building.
Yet it is from this very house that one hundred portions of a Middle Eastern delicacy unique to Cirebon are distributed to local residents, moments before the evening call to prayer rings out.
When the sharp scent of spices begins to seep through the window gaps of this old Indies-style house, it signals that Ramadan has arrived.
On Saturday afternoon (21 February), ANTARA visited the house to observe more closely the Panjunan community’s routine — one that only appears during Ramadan.
The clock showed 2.23pm Western Indonesian Time. In one of the rooms stood a long table draped in a batik-patterned cloth, upon which sat rows of styrofoam containers.
Thin wisps of steam rose from a large blue basin. Inside, a dense yet soft mixture melted together with coconut milk and goat meat.
A green plastic spoon moved slowly, stirring with a steady rhythm. Stalks of lemongrass and herb leaves poked through the surface, releasing a warm aroma that wafted upward and settled beneath the ceiling.
Fatimah Bayasut (67) stood beside the table. Her hands moved deftly. One spoonful was lifted, poured, then smoothed out. A full container was pushed aside and replaced with an empty one.
On one of the walls, a portrait of the foundation’s founder hung neatly — as if watching in silence, a reminder that this activity has become a tradition spanning generations.
Such is the scene of the serving of bubur harisah, a Ramadan culinary tradition that endures in Kampung Arab Panjunan, Cirebon. In matters of cuisine such as harisah, communal boundaries seem to dissolve. This porridge has become a symbol of how Middle Eastern influences have been embraced and integrated into the local culture.