The History of Kue-Kue

By Barrie | October 13th, 2007 | No Comments

In Indonesia kue-kue, sweet or savory snacks, are a familiar sight, found everywhere from food markets to star-studded events and grand weddings. However, during colonial times, kue-kue were not considered appropriate food for well-heeled individuals and it appeared only in traditional circles.

It was only about 50 years ago that kue-kue moved up the social ladder and began making appearances at more elaborate events as gastronome and epicurean el supremo Suryatini N. Ganie explains.

Long ago, when Chinese traders set foot on Indonesia, they influenced the kue. The striking red kue ku was used by the Chinese as offerings to ancestors and, in time, became quite popular with the locals and was added to the local array of kue-kue. Another kue with Chinese overtones is the kue mangkok, made from fermented rice flour.

When the Spanish and Portuguese went eastwards to the Spice Islands, they longed for their empanadas and so emerged the panada, a delicious cake from North Sulawesi.

There are also kue-kue coming from the cold regions of the Netherlands. Initially called croquettes, from the French, the kroketten emerged in the Netherlands. The Indonesian version: the kroket, which is eaten with cabai rawit.

Needless to say there are numerous versions and adaptations of kue-kue but they usually include a base of cassava, sweet potato, mungbean flour, glutinous rice flour, rice flour and, on occasion, wheat flour.

Some kue-kue have very curious names like the lumpur surga, which means “heavenly mud”, and puteri mandi — “bathing beauty”.

Suryatini N. Ganie