Salak Pondoh Chips

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A. Overview

Salak or Salacca zalacca is a species of palm tree native to Indonesia. Salak, especially salak pondoh, is known as one of the icons of Sleman Regency of Special Region of Indonesia. Salak pondoh is unique, the upper part of its tree looks like oil palm tree with some additional features of fern. The fruits grow on the lower part of the tree; they are small with thick edible pulp. The taste is usually sweet and acidic.

Although salak pondoh sound tempting, most people visiting Sleman are usually reluctant to buy them for family back home. They are not portable, and they do not endure long trip as they rot within days. Later on, Sleman people came up with the idea of making salak pondoh into chips. Chips can last for months and they are easy to carry home.

B. Features

Salak pondoh chips is indeed not yet as popular as other special snacks of Yogyakarta like gudeg, bakpia pathok, yangko of Kotagede, geplak of Bantul, or jadah tempe of Kaliurang. However, it is believed that it will be soon as popular as they are.

Compared to other chips made through similar process, salak pondoh chips is sweeter. Not all salak pondoh can be made into chips. Only the black, lumut, and local salak pondoh can be made into high quality and tasty chips.

After selecting the good fruits, the next step of making salak pondoh chips is peeling them to take the good pulp only and remove the seed. Through these processes, 10 kilograms of salak will shrink into 6 kilograms only. Next, the pulp are sliced and then fried in vacuum frying machine for approximately an hour. After the frying process, the pulp will get dried and the total mass will become 2 kilograms. Vacuum frying process did not spoil the taste, smell and nutrition of salak pondok chips, it only make them crunchier.

Salak pondoh chips are more practical if bought for family at home. If packaged properly they will endure for 10 to 12 months.

C. Location

If you want to taste salak pondoh chips, please visit salak plantation which are open for public as agrotourism destination. Among the most popular ones is located in Turi Subdistrict, Sleman Regency. Turi Agrotourism Cooperation provides you with various kinds of snacks, not to mention salak pondoh chips itself.

However, if you do not have much time to go to Sleman Regency you do not need to worry because there are snack stores in Yogyakarta downtown which provide salak pondoh chips.

D. Price

In average, 100 grams of salak pondoh chips is priced Rp 1,000 (April 2010).

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

Read : 6114 time(s).

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please contact:

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Telp. +62 274 8373005. Fax. +62 274 379250
Email : maharatu@maharatu.com -maharatu257@yahoo.com
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