[caption id="attachment_167338" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Solo Jenang Festival"][/caption]
What is Jenang?
Jenang is kind of food which cannot be separated in cultural life of Javanese people. It has been merged in several traditional ceremonies such as in the celebration of the birth of the new baby, birthday party, opening and closing ceremony of event. Jenang which is also commonly known as dodol is the symbol of thankfulness to God, so it is offered in important ceremonies. However, jenang is also common to be eaten daily though there is no essential purpose or event. It can be enjoyed in the form of snack and even as a feast. It is popular in several cities in Indonesia like Kudus (Jenang Kudus), Garut (Dodol Garut), Malang (Dodol Apel Malang), and in Solo. [caption id="attachment_167339" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Jenang Grendul"]
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[/caption]It is typically sweet food; made by rice flour, coconut milk, granulated sugar,brown sugarandsalt. Now people are more innovative by adding fruits as ingredients like apple, durian, and jack fruit. It becomes more tempting since sometimes it is mixed with chocolates.
[caption id="attachment_167340" align="aligncenter" width="313" caption="Jenang in a crock (1)"]
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[/caption]The ingredients are put in a crock. Javanese people commonly make it in potter crock. Along four hours, the ingredients are cooked in the top of small fire. Those have to be mixed and stirred without any pause during cooking for resulting best result: no scorched part, no crust left. Indeed, making jenang is tiring. Yes, somehow it is the art of this food.
Happy Anniversary Solo City
[caption id="attachment_167345" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="A group of ladies in their jenang stall"]
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[/caption]The philosophy of jenang has inpired Solo city to deliver it in big event names "Festival Jenang Solo" or "Solo Jenang Festival" to celebrate its 267th anniversary in February 17, 2012. The mayor of Solo Joko Widodo or commonly called as Jokowi opened the festival by knocking kentongan, a tool made from bamboo which has a function as drum or alarm. It was then followed by the crowd of people for doing "hunting" jenang. Wonderful! there were about 10,000 jenang; delivered for FREE. Uniquely, those were all provided by districts (kelurahan) in Solo, some vocational schools, and independent groups. Thus people could see almost 100 jenang stalls in Ngarsopuro, the public square of Solo. People actively participated from the preparation until the execution of the festival.
People's Party
[caption id="attachment_167347" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Jokowi delivered jenang (1)"]
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[/caption]That was the real people's party. Not only because all jenang were given to people for free but also from the feeling of togetherness because Jokowi also acted as "seller". He was helped by his vice mayor FX Rudi made the combination of jenang to be given to people. Of course people were so excited to be closer to their leader. Such a warm relationship between leader and his citizens.
[caption id="attachment_167346" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Traditional entertainment during festival "]
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People were also entertained by several traditional dancing with of course a live traditional instruments. The dancers used colorful outfits and attractive dancing that eventually made the festival became more festive. Some dancers also helped to deliver jenang to people coming.