Sleman’s Traditional Melinjo Wood Graters Preserve Culinary Heritage
- 23 Jul 2026 11:37 WIB
- Voice of Indonesia
Key Points
- The heritage craft supports local livelihoods and attracts educational tourism despite raw material challenges.
- Sixteen artisans in Sleman continue crafting traditional wooden graters from melinjo wood using manual techniques.
RRI.CO.ID, Sleman - Deep in Badran Kidul Hamlet, Sendangsari Village, Minggir Subdistrict, Sleman Regency, Yogyakarta, a centuries-old culinary tradition remains vibrant through the production of handcrafted wooden graters.
Crafted specifically from melinjo wood (Gnetum gnemon) for its fine grain and non-discoloring properties, these traditional kitchen tools are painstakingly assembled using steel wire through a manual technique known as matik. Amid the overwhelming flood of modern plastic and metal kitchenware, 16 local artisans in the hamlet continue to keep the craft alive.
The specialized graters have not only secured steady demand across Central Java and Sumatra, including Magelang, Temanggung, Wonosobo, Boyolali, and Lampung, but have also elevated Badran Kidul into an educational tourism hub for students visiting from Jakarta to learn traditional woodworking, besek weaving, and bamboo crafts.
For the remaining craftspeople in Badran Kidul, maintaining the quality of these traditional graters is a matter of pride and cultural preservation, even when facing material shortages.
Heni Prasetyowati, one of the active artisans in Badran Kidul, emphasized that meticulous manual assembly and strict material standards keep customers coming back to traditional markets.
"Our products remain in demand thanks to precise manual craftsmanship and high-quality raw materials," Heni said on Thursday, July 23, 2026, as quoted by Infopublik.id.
Addressing the rising difficulty in sourcing melinjo wood, Heni noted that artisans must now bring in raw materials from neighboring Kulon Progo Regency.
However, she affirmed that the community refuses to compromise on quality or substitute cheaper alternatives. Producing three to seven units daily, priced at IDR 15,000 (USD 0.84) each, the artisans remain dedicated to preserving their local heritage while supporting their household livelihoods. ***
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