X'mas cake a hot item in Irian

MANOKWARI, Irian Jaya: What is the hottest selling item in Indonesia's easternmost province in December?

The sago flour Christmas cake.

The cakes have become a favorite here and are always in high demand this time of year.

Demand seems even more urgent this year because most of the cakes are made in riot-torn Ambon, Maluku.

Most of the people who sell the cakes are also Ambonese natives. One trader, Lesil Aipassa, said the cakes were sold for between Rp 2,500 and Rp 5,000 depending on the size.

"Besides Manokwari residents, foreign tourists also buy the cakes," she was quoted as saying by Antara on Wednesday. (jun)