Klepon

Klepon (Javanese: ꦏ꧀ꦭꦼꦥꦺꦴꦤ꧀, romanized: klêpon) or kelepon or kalalapun, also known outside Java as onde-onde and buah melaka, is a sweet rice cake ball filled with molten palm sugar and coated in grated coconut. Of Javanese origin, the green-coloured glutinous rice balls are one of the popular traditional kue in Indonesian cuisine and have since spread throughout Southeast Asian cuisine.
Klepon is a boiled rice cake filled with liquid palm sugar (gula jawa/merah/melaka) and coated in flaked coconut. The dough is made from glutinous rice flour, sometimes mixed with tapioca (or sweet potato alternatively) and a paste made from the leaves of the pandan or dracaena plants (daun suji) — whose leaves are used widely in Southeast Asian cooking — giving the dough its green colour.
The small pieces of palm sugar are initially solid when inserted into the glutinous rice dough and rolled into balls. The balls are subsequently boiled, which melts the palm sugar and creates a sweet liquid inside the balls' cores. Skill is involved in ensuring that the liquid does not leak out of the final product. The balls are finally rolled in shredded coconut, adhering to the sticky surface of the glutinous rice dough.
Klepon are ideally left to cool for some time before consumption to prevent burning from the hot liquid palm sugar. They are traditionally served in banana leaves, usually in sets of four or ten balls; plastic packaging is also used in recent times.
Klepon, meaning 'animal's ovary', is the Javanese name for this kue. In Kalimantan, especially in Banjar cultural area in South Kalimantan, it is known as kalalapun, which clearly derived from Javanese klepon.
In other parts of Indonesia, such as in Sulawesi, Minangkabau region in West Sumatra, and in neighbouring Malaysia, it is mainly known as onde-onde. In Malacca, it is also known by the name buah melaka (Indian gooseberry). In Java, onde-onde refers to the Chinese jian dui, a rice cake ball coated with sesame seeds and filled with sweet green bean paste. Although popular in Indonesia and neighboring areas, klepon originated in Java.
The dish is also called klepon in the Netherlands, due to its colonial ties with Java.
The ingredients for klepon, i.e. coconut, palm sugar, and glutinous rice flour are commonly familiar in traditional Indonesian kue making since ancient times, especially in Java. The oldest written evidence that mentions the klepon is in the Surakarta heritage manuscript, namely Serat Centhini, which was written in the early 19th century (1814). Klepon was part of a treat in Javanese royal banquets. It is also served during traditional celebration rituals such as slametan parties. It is usually served with several other traditional foods or snacks in one tray.
In the 1950s, klepon was introduced to the Netherlands by Indo immigrants and is readily available throughout the country in toko shops, Dutch or Chinese Indonesian restaurants, and supermarkets.
In Java, klepon, along with getuk and cenil, are often eaten as morning or afternoon snacks. They are categorised as jajan pasar (market snacks) in traditional markets and villages and kue basah (moist kue) in urban areas due to Chinese influence in naming.
The oldest written evidence that mentions the Onde-Onde and Buah Melaka is in the John Leyden vocabulary book, namely A Comparative Vocabulary of the Barmá, Maláya and Thái Languages, which was written in the early 19th century (1810). John Leyden listed Onde-Onde (word list no. 2210) and Buah Melaka (word list no. 2233) as Malay sweetmeats in Jawi script.
Traditional klepon or onde onde is quite homogeneous in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. Still, new recipes have been developed: some modern variants replace the rice flour with yam or sweet potato (Indonesian: ubi) dough, the liquid palm sugar filling with chocolate, or the grated coconut with grated cheddar cheese. Colourful klepon has also been created using potato-based dough and food colouring to make it more appealing to children.
Klepon is quite similar to Kue putu, with the difference in its shape, texture and the flour being used — klepon uses glutinous rice flour, while kue putu uses common rice flour. Klepon has somewhat a chewy sticky texture similar to mochi, and kue putu has a soft yet crumbly texture akin to cake. Klepon is spherical, while kue putu is tubular, shaped using a hollow bamboo tube.
Traditional klepon ingredients has been used in cake and pastries baking technique to create a fusion of traditional and contemporary dessert. For example klepon cake, which is klepon-flavoured cake with pronounced pandan and coconut aroma. Cupcakes using onde onde ingredients are another recent variation on the dish. There is also klepon-flavoured instant coffee in Indonesia, which combine pandan and coconut flavour with palm sugar into coffee.
The Indian dish paan ladoo resembles klepon, but uses betel leaves (paan) instead of pandan.