Cirebon is one of the cities that you should consider if you want to have a culinary tour. This coastal city not only offers variety of processed shrimp and salted fish, but also variety of unique food souvenirs. If you’re stopping by a gift shop in the city center, don’t miss buying this Cirebon souvenirs.
Shrimp Paste
Cirebon often called as Shrimp City because of its abundant shrimp harvest. One way to preserve it is to process it into shrimp paste. There are many brands of shrimp paste on offer. However, according to the seller, the buffalo head stamp paste is of the best quality. The color is black, wet, and made from rebon or small shrimp.
Tjampolay Syrup
Siroop Tjap Tjampolay Fruit is more expensive than well-known brand syrup because it is made from real sugar and food coloring. Established in 1936, Tjampolay has a simple white label and a slightly watery and fragrant syrup. The flavors are varied, ranging from roozen roos, citrus tamarind, pineapple, milk banana, melon, strawberry, lime, mocca coffee, lychee, soursop, kopyor, to gedong mango.
Melarat Crackers
The name is unique, Melarat crackers that means poor crackers. The colors are white, pink and yellow. Crackers are not fried in oil but sand. These crackers from tapioca flour are sold in ready-to-eat form. Be careful with starkly colored crackers because it is feared to use non-food coloring.
Teapot / Poci Tea
The taste and aroma of Poci Tea brings nostalgia. The taste is thick, slightly sour with strong aroma of tea and jasmine. Especially if the tea leaves are brewed in a clay pot with rock sugar and enjoyed hot in a clay cup too. Other brands that you can buy are Teh Upet or Teh Tong Tji.
Dried Salted Fish
Various types of salted fish, both dry and wet, are easily found in Cirebon. There are anchovies, bilis, jambal roti, juhi, cork, cucut, rebon, and ebi. Some are raw, some have been fried, floured, or sauced. You can buy in kilos or already packaged.
In addition to these four snacks, you can buy rengginang balls with original flavors, grilled corn, cheese, or ebi. There are also dry sponge and bagelen. Don’t miss out on various crackers such as rambak (buffalo skin crackers), prawn crackers, and emping; Oedang Sari soy sauce which is watery, slightly salty, and has a shrimp flavor; and candied dried and wet fruit.
On the Jakarta-Cirebon trip, you will find some typical snacks from cities around Cirebon. Some of them are the soft and sweet peuyeum (tape) and sweet potato Cilembu in Cikampek-Subang, the sweet and fragrant mango gedong gincu in Indramayu, and the sour guava leaf sticky rice tape and Jeniper (bottled lime syrup) in Kuningan.
–sh
