As the capital city of Indonesia, Jakarta is not only famous for its skyscrapers and the title as one of the largest metropolitan cities in the world. There are many other unique things that Jakarta has to offer, one of them is the creative typical product of Betawi—the native people of Jakarta. As is known, Betawi tribe who inhabit Jakarta as well as parts of West Java and Banten have unique cultural products. For example, lenong. However, as time goes by, the existence of lenong is increasingly displaced and it is difficult to “live” in one’s own home. In the past, the art of lenong was victorious and appeared in almost every citizen’s celebration. Now, let alone the stage, the word lenong is starting to be rarely heard.
However, not all indigenous Betawi culture has faded and disappeared. There are still many people who care about and preserve Betawi culture. One of them, by creating and producing creative economic products (ekraf). Currently, some of these creative products are easy to find and can be purchased online.
Betawi Batik
Betawi batik has its own specialties that are not owned by other batik from other regions, both in terms of color, pattern, and motif. For matters of color, Betawi batik usually uses bright colors, such as green, red, and blue. Then, Betawi batik patterns are mostly inspired by cultural values found in the surrounding community. Betawi batik motifs are divided into two types, namely ancient and modern motifs. For ancient motifs, there are nusa coconut motifs, ciliwung, rasamala, salakanegara, bamboo shoots, and ondel-ondel. Unfortunately, these motifs are difficult to find nowadays.
Then, for modern motifs, Betawi batik presents Monas motifs, coconut flowers, and TransJakarta. If you are interested in having Betawi batik, you can buy it in several batik villages spread across Jakarta, such as the Terogong Betawi Batik Village and Palbatu Batik Village. In addition, a number of craftsmen also sell Betawi batik in the online marketplace.
Pletok Beer
Even though it is called beer, this Betawi drink does not contain alcohol. Therefore, some people refer to it as “halal beer”. It is said that beer pletok was created from the influence of the Dutch culture of drinking alcohol and wine during the colonial period. Because most of the Betawi people are Muslim, they also create a similar special drink without alcohol. The benefits of this drink is to warm the body. The warm effect comes from the spices contained in Pletok beer. The ingredients for making Pletok beer consist of ginger, lemongrass, cinnamon, and sappan wood. The spices are then boiled with brown sugar.
Betawi Dodol
When you hear the word dodol, some people notice to Garut. However, not only Garut is famous for its dodol production. Betawi also has a typical dodol that has its own taste. Betawi dodol has more chewy texture than Garut dodol. Apparently, the secret of Betawi dodol’s elasticity lies in the final making process that does not use liquid sugar. Until now, the Betawi people still preserve dodol production, especially during the Rantangan celebration. Rantangan itself is Betawi tradition that usually done before Eid. In that tradition, the Betawi people make a variety of food to delivered to their family, relatives, and neighbors.
Ondel Ondel
Most of the Jakarta people are already familiar with ondel-ondel. Ondel-ondel is a giant doll made of woven bamboo and decorated with Betawi clothing and accessories. Ondel-ondel was first made by farmers who inhabit the suburbs of Jakarta. Usually, farmers make ondel-ondel when the harvest season arrives. Over time, ondel-ondel is used as means of entertainment and accompaniment of big events. Now, ondel-ondel is not only large in size. Some craftsmen even make ondel-ondel for souvenirs and gifts in the form of dolls, masks, miniatures, and key chains.
–sh
