Look’s around

The wealth of cultural diversity of Indonesia made the country has the diversity of culinary heritages. Each region in Indonesia has its own typical traditional cuisines. The Sundanese, –one of the tribes of Indonesia that lives in West Java—has many kinds of unique traditional foods and drinks. Bajigur is one of the traditional drinks that offer the warmth for body, especially in the cold weather. The drink is usually sold using cart which is equipped with the stove, because the drink is better served hot or warm.

This brown drink is made of coconut milk which is mixed with palm sugar and pandanus leaf. The thin slices of kolang-kaling (made of the seeds of Arenga pinnata) are usually added to the drink. The whole ingredients of this hot drink are 800 ml coconut milk, 250 grams palm sugar, 125 grams refined sugar, some pieces of bread, 150 grams kolang-kaling, a bit of coffee powder, a number of salt, 350 ml water, and 2 pandanus leaves. The cooking recipe is firstly by mixing palm sugar, refined sugar, salt, pandanus leaf, and water. Let the mix come to a boil, and then the mix is removed and filtered. Each kolang-kaling is sliced in two parts. Then add coconut milk and kolang-kaling to the sugar mix; and wait until the kolang-kaling is done. Then, the hot drink is served with the addition of a bit of coffee powder and some pieces of bread in the cup or glass.

Bajigur is nice to enjoy when the weather is cold. It is often drunk at afternoon, especially at rainy season. Combination of the billowing bajigur smoke with pandanus leaf aroma presents its own typical sensation. When the drink flows through the throat, the warm sensation spreads throughout the body. And the slices of kolang-kaling are chewy in the tongue. Bajigur is often served with boiled bananas, boiled sweet potatoes, or boiled peanuts. They are very nice combination.