There are foods or cake made for a very special day, and dodol is one of them. Not only is made to enliven the special day, but also Dodol knowned as cake snob. Because since the beginning of dodol making, it had to communicate or formed friendships with others. Dodol made in large quantities. In the past, not everyone has a pan that can accommodate large size of rice flour dough mix brown sugar and coconut milk as much as 25 kilograms, therefore as a big pan only owned by wealthy families, so people who intend to make dodol, need to borrowed it. In addition, if you want to start making dodol you need your neighbor’s help to pound rice, grated coconut, and mix the dough, of course everything is commanded by dodol expert
In a Betawi culinary history, no one can verify, when Dodol was created as a confectionary. The main cake is made from rice (plain or sticky rice), brown sugar, and coconut, and generally make the cake for Lebaran. For Betawi people, it is not lebaran without dodol.
In the old days, dodol making process takes a long time, two days and two nights. The first job is to buy raw materials for then looking for handyman to stir dodol and borrow big pan, that can accommodate 25 kg of dough. The comparison (either plain rice or glutinous rice) ranges from 1:2:4. This means that if one kilogram of rice, two kilograms of sugar, and coconut four units.
Until today, the performance of ‘slametan’ ritual or asked permission/ request to God to receive blessings on dodol making. Above Tumang (fireplace, usually made from the base of the banana tree) is make satay from chilies, onions, and shrimp paste. In the old days (Pre-Islam) rituals are addressed to Dewi Sri, the goddess of prosperity and fertility.
In making of coconut milk, it is suggested that menstruating women are not allowed, because if so, the coconut milk will become black. And someone who is in charge of making coconut milk, must be a patient man, clean and disciplined. If not so, coconut milk will be failed miserably, only to be waste milk, no matter how much coconut milk is cooked.
Not everyone - male or female - adept at making dodol. An expert makes a very strong instinct dodol, well indeed experience is needed. Comparison between the amount of rice, coconut, sugar, and so on have actually been engaged for decades even though he/she never record it. Everything is only stored in his/her memory. Besides making dodolfrom glutinous rice would be another way of handling compared with ordinary rice. Besides, he also understands repellent spirits activity since ‘nampihin beras’ (clean rice are being driven up and down), lower the dough into the pan until it becomes ‘koleh’ (dodol half-cooked) are still handled by women. It was only after that the work was continued by men until dodol ripe, lifted, and put in tenong (20-25 cm diameter round container, height 15 cm made of woven bamboo).
Stir handyman of dodol are men who have a strong physical, because in turning dodol using ‘gelo’ (dodol mixer) in the sphere requires a major effort. Stir handyman is a person who understands the type of fire wood, and usually used rambutan wood. Because when the fire woods are used, then the resulting smells of dodol become ‘sangit’ (smelling burnt) and it was mixed with smoke. He also understands how the hot coals of charcoal under the sphere. If the level of hot coals is not constant, that is too hot or less hot, or not equally between the right and left side,dodol would be ‘bantet’ (not cooked properly) and black in color hardened like stone.
Currently dodol be quite profitable home-based businesses. If you visit the village Kalibata, then you could find a window glass display dodol in various sizes and flavors. In traditional Dodol is still limited to original and ketan hitam flavor only. Now available in a variety of flavors dodol fruits (durian, strawberry, grapes, oranges, etc.).
There is another center of dodol which is in Bojong. Dodol Bojong are generally sold by street peddlers who sell in the terminal or in an Jakarta – Bogor train. According to some people who like dodol, there is no significant difference between dodol Kalibata with Bojong, but they can tell the difference. There is a distinctive flavor of each product.
Dodol can last a long time. Therefore, after Lebaran ends, dodol can be stored neatly in the closet. Although the exterior is moldy and somewhat smelly, but it is guaranteed still be a good, nice and tasty dodol, especially if made from glutinous rice. If the mushrooms started to grow, all you have to do is cut the mushroom part and fried the good part of dodol with batter flour.
Dodol can last a long time. Therefore, after Lebaran ends, dodol can be stored neatly in the closet. Although the exterior is moldy and somewhat smelly, but it is guaranteed still be a good, nice and tasty dodol, especially if made from glutinous rice. If the mushrooms started to grow, all you have to do is cut the mushroom part and fried the good part of dodol with batter flour.
