Traditional Cucur Cake Still Thrives in Yogyakarta

RRI.CO.ID, Yogyakarta - Despite the abundance of modern snacks, the traditional palm sugar cucur remains a popular snack. At a small stall on Jalan Babarsari, Tio sells cucur and mud cakes, which are made fresh on-site and served while still fresh.

Cucur cakes are traditional snacks made from a mixture of rice flour, wheat flour, and palm sugar that is then fried. They are flat and fibrous with a thick center. They have a sweet, fragrant flavor and a texture that is crispy on the edges but chewy in the middle.

Tio explained that Mr. Hans and Mrs. Lee own the business. "It started around 2019 and has grown from one location to several branches in Yogyakarta and beyond," he said.

According to Tio, the most popular menu item is the palm sugar cucur cake. In the Babarsari area, where he sells them, cucur cakes are more popular than lumpur cakes.

"In this area, cucur is the most popular cake rather than lumpur," he said.

He explained that the owners started this business to preserve traditional foods that are becoming increasingly rare on the streets. The positive public response from the beginning led to the business's continued growth and expansion to several locations. 

However, the business faces challenges, particularly the rising price of raw materials. However, he has kept prices affordable, considering most of his customers are students.

"The biggest challenge is the rising price of ingredients, but we haven't raised our selling price," he said.

Tio's palm sugar cucur distinguish taste lies in the hands-on production process. This results in a fresher, cleaner product with a distinctive flavor compared to similar snacks sold on the market. Furthermore, providing friendly service is also a key focus for the seller.

One customer, Kesya, expressed satisfaction with the taste of the snack. She said the cucur cakes have a rich palm sugar flavor and are crunchy on the edges, while the mud cakes are soft and not too sweet.

"The cucur cakes are delicious and rich, and the mud cakes are also soft, just the right amount of sweetness without making you feel nauseous. It makes you want to come back again," she said. (Misni Parjiati/Bambang MBKA)