Geplak

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3.2 ( 5 Voter(s) )

A. Overview

Geplak is one of the snacks that assert Yogyakarta as a city popular for its sweet food. It is another culinary trademark of Bantul Regency, Special Region of Yogyakarta. Bantul is even referred as the City of Geplak. Geplak is best eaten warm. In the past, geplak was consumed as staple food replacing rice back in hard times. Nowadays, geplak is more as snack that tourists buy for family back home when visiting Bantul Regency or Yogyakarta. Geplak is made of young coconut, sugar and rice flour or glutinous rice flour. The mixture of the ingredients results in sweet taste or perhaps too sweet for some people who are not accustomed to. However, it is perhaps its sweetness that attracts tourists.

The emergence of geplak cannot rule out the presence of many sugar factories, sugar cane and coconut plantations in Bantul. In colonial era, Bantul was known as the area of sugar production. There were at least six sugar factories and there were many sugarcane farmlands. Among the sugar factories, there is one that still runs until nowadays, the Madukismo factory. The sugar produced by this factory is used for snack production such as geplak. Bantul Regency is located strategically at the South Sea coastal area and is popular for its abundant coconuts. Thus, it is very easy to find the main ingredients of geplak, coconut flesh and milk. Obviously, geplak affects the industry of sugar and coconut positively, not to mention promotes the tourism of Bantul Regency.

B. Features

The most significant feature of geplak is of course its sweet taste. However, it is not just plain sweet but coco-piquant sweet. The ingredients for making geplak are young coconut, glutinous rice flour, pandanus, cane sugar or brown sugar, water, salt and vanilla.

The process of making geplak is simple and easy. All ingredients are fried without oil until they are perfectly cooked so as to make durable geplak. Then the dough is rolled up into small lumps using hand. There goes the sticky sweet geplak with irregular shape.

Previously, geplak was only made in two colors. The making process that uses sugar cane results in gray geplak. When using brown sugar, it results in brown geplak. Over the time, to respond to market demand and competition, geplak is now made in various colors and flavors. Moreover, geplak is wrapped in more eye-catching packaging to make it more attractive. Geplak uses natural food coloring, not chemical. The snack is available in various flavors like durian, strawberry, orange and more. For the flavors, fruit juice is used. There are also ginger and nut flavor. Geplak has gained safety label from the Department of Health.

Geplak contains high nutrition value. According to a food and nutrition research by Gadjah Mada University, in every 100 grams of geplak there is 74 grams of carbohydrate, 14 grams of fat, 10 grams of water, 10 grams of protein and 2 grams of calorie.

In 2002, MURI gave an award for the largest geplak in the world. The giant geplak was exhibited in Bantul Expo 2002 at Dwi Windu Square, Bantul. It was 2 meters high and 2.25 meters wide. To make the giant geplak it cost around 20 million rupiahs, for 1.6 tons of sugar, 360 coconuts, 4 quintals of flour, 1 ounce of coloring and aromatic. And it took 7 days to finish it.

C. Location

Geplak Bantul are very easy to find in snack stores in Yogyakarta and the surroundings such as Pathuk, Kotagede, Malioboro, Prawirotaman, Suryowijayan and others. They are also available at almost every tourism object in Yogyakarta or along the main road towards other cities or at Yogyakarta borders such as Wates Street (Gamping), Magelang Street, Monumen Jogja Kembali (Monjali) Street, Kaliurang Street, Wonosari Street, Imogiri Street, Bantul Street, Parangtritis Street and more.

If you do not have much time to buy geplak at the snack centers above, you can find them at public facilities such as Adi Sucipto Airport, Tugu Train Station, Lempuyangan Train Station, Giwangan Bus Station and other bus stations like Jombor and Condongcatur. They are also available at supermarkets and malls in Yogyakarta.

If you want special geplak straight from the makers, you should visit stores which are also geplak production houses in several places in Bantul Regency. One of them is located at Wachid Hasyim Street No. 28, Gose, Bantul. Geplak Jago, established since 1976, is one of the best geplak producers in Yogyakarta. You can also go to Geplak Mbok Tumpuk store at Wachid Hasyim Street 104 Bantul, to get geplak with special flavor. In addition to geplak, this store is also popular for its unique and delicious peyek tumpuk (peanut brittle made by Mbok Tumpuk). Bowo Pranggono’s Geplak Super is another recommended factory in Bantul which produces and sells geplak. It is established since 1986, located in Bergan Village, Wijirejo, Pandak, Bantul Regency. The quality, taste, packaging, hygine and nutrition value of the geplak of Geplak Super is without doubt.

D. Price

Geplak vary in price and they are sold in besek (covered square basket of plaited bamboo) or plastic package. On ordinary days, a kilogram of geplak is priced at Rp 16.000, while on holidays or Lebaran, the price rises to around Rp 18.000 (September 2009). Special on Lebaran day, the price rises for a week, starts from D-3 to D+3.

Text: Iswara N. Raditya
Photo(s): Collection of Jogjatrip.com
Translation: Apri Widiastuti
(Primery data and various sources)

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If you are from outside Yogyakarta and want to visit this place by travel agency services,
please contact:

Maharatu Tour and Travel

Jl. Sisingamangaraja No. 27 Yogyakarta.
Telp. +62 274 8373005. Fax. +62 274 379250
Email : maharatu@maharatu.com -maharatu257@yahoo.com
Website : www.maharatu.com

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