Cendol

Cendol/ˈtʃɛndɒl/is an iced sweet dessert that containspandan-flavoured greenrice flourjelly,coconut milk, andpalm sugarsyrup.It is popular in the Southeast Asian nations ofIndonesia,Malaysia,Brunei,Cambodia,East Timor,Laos,Vietnam,Thailand,Singapore,Philippines, andMyanmar. Next to the green jelly, additional toppings might be added, including dicedjackfruit, sweetened redazuki beans,ordurian.
Earliest written records of the wordcendolortjendol(Dutch spelling) can be traced to dictionaries and books of the 19th century in theDutch East Indies(now Indonesia). One of the oldest known records of the wordtjendolis listed in the 1866Oost-Indisch kookboekor East Indies recipe book. This book includes a cendol recipe with the titleTjendol of Dawetwhich indicates that cendol anddawetwere already used synonymously at that time.In the dictionarySupplement op het Maleisch-Nederduitsch Woordenboek(1869) by Jan Pijnappel (Gz.), tjendol is described as a kind of drink or watery paste made fromsago, coconut milk, sugar and salt.
In Malaya, the word "chendol" was first mentioned in 1932 as one of the foodstuffs available inKuala Lumpuras recorded in the Malay Concordance Project that collects Malay writings.There is a popular belief that the name "cendol" is related to, or originated from, the wordjendol, in reference to the swollen green worm-like rice flour jelly;inJavanese,Sundanese,Indonesian, andMalay,jendolmeans "bump", "bulge",or "swollen".In most parts of Indonesia, cendol refers to the green rice flour jelly; while the concoction of that green rice flour jellies with coconut milk, shaved ice, areca palm sugar and sometimes dicedjackfruitis calledes cendol(in West Java) ordawet(in Central and East Java).
The Indonesian dictionaryKamus Besardescribes "cendol" as a snack made fromrice flourand other ingredients that are formed by filters, then mixed with palm sugar and coconut milk (for beverage).The Malay dictionaryKamus Dewansimilarly defines it as a porridge-like drink with long strands made of rice flour in coconut milk and sugar syrup.
In Vietnam, this worm-like rice flour concoction is calledbánh lọtor "secreted jellies".Bánh lọtis a common ingredient in a Vietnamese dessert drink calledchè. In Thailand it is calledlot chong(Thai:ลอดช่อง,pronounced[lɔ̂ːtt͡ɕʰɔ̂ŋ]) which can be translated as "gone through a hole", indicating the way it is made by pressing the warmdoughthrough a sieve into a container of cold water.In Burma, it is known asmont let saungorမုန့်လက်ဆောင်း. In Cambodia, it is known aslot(លត /lɔːt/),bang-aem lot(បង្អែមលត /bɑŋʔaɛm lɔːt/),nom lot(នំលត /nɷm lɔːt/), andbanh lot(បាញ់លត /baɲ lɔːt/). In Laos, it is calledlod song(ລອດຊ່ອງ). The wordlọtinVietnamese languagehas cognate withProto-Katuicreconstruction of*lɔɔtmeaning "to pass, go by", whence thePacoh languagewithluat.
The origin of cendol can be traced back toJava, Indonesia, where it is known asdawet. Its roots extend from the rural areas of Java, dating back to ancient times and continuing to the present day.TheJavanesename of "dawet" was recorded in early 19th century Javanese manuscript ofSerat Centhini, composed between 1814 and 1823 inSurakarta, Central Java.An Indonesian academic suggests that adawetsweet drink may have been recorded in the Kresnayana manuscript, dated fromKediri Kingdomcirca 12th century Java.In Java,dawetrefer to the whole concoction of cendol green jellies, usually made fromarensago or rice flour, coconut milk and liquidgula jawa(palm sugar syrup).An Indonesian historian argues that sago or rice flour might have been used as sweet beverage ingredient in the rice agriculture society of ancient Java. Indeed, cendol jellies and its variations are rural agricultural product, still traditionally produced in Javanese villages.In Banjarnegara, Central Java,dawetis traditionally served without ice. Today, however additional ice cubes or shaved ice is commonly added into this dessert drink.
Cendol, however, has developed differently in different countries. In Java (Indonesia), cendol only refers to the green "pandan jelly served in coconut milk", where sometimespandanusleaves or pieces ofjackfruitmay be added.Meanwhile, inWest Sumatra(Indonesia), cendol (cindua) has two colors, green and red. Red cendol is made from sago palm flour and rice flour, then it is given food coloring from gambier sap.This is different to the cendol in Malaysia and Singapore where various ingredients such as sweetened red beans and sweet corn may be mixed in like anes campur.
Cendol is typically served with ice, and this may have developed when ice became readily available. It may have originated in Malayan port cities such asMalaccaandPenangwhere British refrigerated ships' technology would provide the required ice.
InJavanese tradition, dawet or cendol is a part of traditional Javanese wedding ceremony. Thedodol dawet(Javanesefor "selling dawet") is performed during Midodareni ceremony, a day before the wedding. After thesiramanbridal shower, the parents would sell dawet to the attending guests and relatives. The guest paid the dawet using terracotta coins that would be given to the bride as a symbol of family earnings. The symbolic meaning was as the parents' hope that the tomorrow wedding would be attended by a lot of guests, "as plenty as the cendol jellies that being sold."InDutch East IndiesJava, dawet street hawkers usingpikulan(baskets carried with balancing rod) are commonly found in Javanese cities, as can be seen in the old photograph dated from circa 1935.
In Indonesia five traditions of cendol making has been recognised as theintangible cultural heritageby theIndonesian Ministry of Education and Culture. Three dawet (Javanese version of cendol) traditions has been recognised in 2010 and 2018, all registered underYogyakartaprovince. They are dawet,dawet camcau,and dawet sambel.Es cendol was recognized in 2016 registered underWest Javaprovince,while cendol was recognized in 2020 registered underRiau Islandsprovince.Cendol has been declared a Malaysian heritage food by the Malaysian Department of National Heritage.The origin of cendol is from Indonesia, but each country has its own distinctive characteristics and unique ingredient composition.
The ingredients of cendol relies heavily onaren(palm sugar) and coconut plants.The dessert's original or basic ingredients arecoconut milk, jelly noodles made fromrice flourwith greenfood colouring(usually derived from thepandan leaf),shaved ice, andpalm sugar. The cendol in Java is usually served in a tall glass, assembled with liquidgula jawaor palm sugar syrup in the bottom, followed by green jellies, poured with coconut milk, and topped with shaved ice.In West Sumatra is served in a bowl instead of a glass.Cindua langkok(cendol with various fillings) is usually mixed withlupis,durian,ampiang(traditional glutinous rice krispies), and doused with palm sugar.
The Singaporean and Malaysian versions usually have sweetened red beans added, and are served in a bowl. The palm sugar, often added as a dark syrup, is referred to asgula melaka.
InWest Java, cendol is a dark-green pulpy dish of rice (or sago) flour worms with coconut milk and syrup of areca sugar. InJavanese, cendol refers to the green jelly-like part of the beverage, while the combination of cendol, palm sugar and coconut milk is calleddawet. Today, the green cendol jelly noodles are mainly made fromrice flour, since rice is more readily available. However, in Java, a traditional cendol worm-like jelly noodles was made fromsagu aren, or sago starch extracted from the trunk of sugar palm (Arenga pinnata).
In Indonesia, additional ingredients might includetapai(fermented sweet cassava), blackgrass jelly, and sweetenedcondensed milk. In Java (Indonesia) and Thailand, cendol usually served in a tall glass, meanwhile in West Sumatra (Indonesia), Malaysia, and Singapore however, they usually served in a bowl.To make cendol chewy and not hard, the mixture must contain sago flour and rice flour in the right composition.
In Myanmar,mont let saunghas 2 primary forms,htannyet mont let saung(ထန်းလျက်မုန့်လက်ဆောင်း), which is served in a caramel-colouredjaggerysyrup, andonno mont let saung(အုန်းနို့မုန့်လက်ဆောင်း), which is served withcoconut milk.The snack is an iconic snack duringThingyan(Burmese New Year), where it is commonly served bysatudithadonors to revellers.Cendol also features in a Burmese dessert calledshwe yin aye. Thailot chongis closer to the Javanese original, only consisting of green worm-like jellies, coconut milk, liquid palm sugar, and shaved ice.
In Indonesia, the most famous variant is Javanesees dawet ayufromBanjarnegara, Central Java.Another variant is a black cendol calledes dawet irengfrom Purworejo, Central Java.IrengisJavaneseword for "black". Instead of green pandan leaf, this black cendol acquired its colour frommerangor the ash of burned rice stalk mixed with water.Other than the basic ingredients of green jelly noodles, palm sugar syrup, and coconut milk, iced cendol might be served with additional toppings. Popular additional toppings in Indonesia include dicedjackfruit,tapai(fermented sweet cassava), durian flesh, and chocolate condensed milk.In Bayat Village,Klatenand Jabung Village,Ponorogo, cendol is made ofarenflour and has pale and transparent color. InKaranganyar Regency, purple cendol ordawet unguis made from sweet potato.Dawet berasinTegalis made of rice flour and its color is white. The drink is served by hitting a lime into a bowl, then adding the cendol with additional liquid sugar.A specialty cendol drink fromSoloisdawet telasih. In one bowl, it contains cendol, black sticky rice, rice pudding, sticky ricetapai, basil seeds, coconut milk, liquified granulated sugar, and ice cubes.Another recent variant in Indonesia is cendol latte, which is a mix between cendol and coffeelatte.
In Malaysia, additional toppings such asred beans,glutinous rice,grass jelly,creamed corn, durian, glutinous rice tapai and even ice cream might also be included.Cendol was brought to Malaysia by Javanese traders in the 19th century and has since become a staple dessert in Malaysian cuisine. It is often served during festive occasions such as Eid al-Fitr, a Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting. Cendol is also a popular street food in Malaysia, especially in Penang.
The influence of Singapore and the West has given rise to different variations of cendol, such as cendol with vanilla ice cream or topped with durian.
Cendol has become a quintessential part of cuisine in Southeast Asia and is often sold by vendors at roadsides,hawker centres, andfood courts.Cendolvendors are almost ubiquitous in Indonesian cities, especiallyJakarta,Bandung, andYogyakarta. Originallycendolordawetin Java was served without ice, but after the introduction ofrefrigerationtechnology, the coldcendolwith shaved ice (es serut) was available and widely popular.
In Indonesia and Malaysia,cendolis commonly sold on the roadside by vendors. It is a dessert fare in Singapore, found in dessert stalls, food centres, coffee shops, and food courts.
Incolloquial Indonesian, the term "cendol" has become an online rating system originated from Indonesian internet forumKASKUS, which its user accounts rating system represented as green "cendol" for positive and red "bata" (brick) for negative.If an online items tweaks interest, a user punch in one or more green commas resembling a cendol.
Cendol dawetchant created by Abah Lala has become popular in Indonesia. It is inserted in the song of Javanese singerDidi Kempot.
In December 2018,cendolbecame embroiled in a controversy afterCNNlisted the Singapore version as one of the world's top 50 desserts, triggering a furious response from Malaysians.