The Sweet, Sticky Magic of Kalimantan's Durian (5)

 

The Sweet, Sticky Magic of Kalimantan's Durian (5)

Hello food lovers, and welcome back to this sweet journey into traditional cakes from Indonesia! We've gone through a few islands, so now we are heading to Borneo's heart, the lush and wild Kalimantan. The traditional sweets in this region are all wonderful, very sweet and pack a lot of fabulous and exotic natural aromas. One of the treats that gives you that bliss is the famous Kue Lempok Durian. A sweet to enjoy that totally shows the fragrance of this well-loved and pungent fruit, Durian. Lempok Durian is not your average cake; it is pure concentrated pleasure, for those who enjoy life, and adventure. If you are excited to talk about a small dessert that represents both joy, pleasure sustained in life, and tradition, then you are in the right place. So let's dig into Lempok Durian, a sticky, sweet, memorable dessert from Pontianak, which is a mild palate tease into Kalimantan's flavors, whilst it is a fun celebration of sweet memory.

So, what exactly is Lempok? Lempok is a traditional food from Pontianak made primarily from one magical ingredient: durian. You might have heard of dodol, a popular sticky food, but Lempok sets itself apart by its purity. Though dodol is commonly made from flour, the traditional Lempok Durian is prepared completely from the fruit. Lempok is simply the fleshy pulp of the durian that rich, creamy, and incredibly aromatic also has been cooked down slowly into a chewy, dense cake texture. Thanks to the all-natural approach, the flavor of Lempok is simply amazing and has the additional sweet and friendly health benefit of meaning that Lempok can be stored for a very long time without artificial preservatives. There is not a drop of artificial preservatives in it, yet it can be stored for months. Lempok is an ideal souvenir from West Kalimantan, not only does it have the durability of a good souvenir, it also has a sweet and wonderfully strong aroma of durian that is very delicious it is a source of local pride for the people here. 

This dish came from a need to make something nutritious and delicious from most plentiful ingredient. It takes a long time and is lesson in patience. To begin, we start with coarse-ground corn, called jagung bose. Then we take coconut milk, palm sugar, a little bit of salt, and simmer this on very low heat for a long time. The magic happens when we put it over a low flame. The coconut milk thickens, the sugar caramelizes, and the corn gelatinizes into tender little morsels that soak up all that deliciousness. The warm porridge is slightly chewy, creamy, sweet from the palm sugar and rich from the coconut milk. Each bite is a direct taste from the heart of the local landscape-simple, powerful, yet very satisfying.

In conclusion, Lempok Durian is more than just a dessert; it is a practical and traditional method for people to enjoy seasonal fruit all year long. The flavors are incredibly delicious but also have amazing shelf life. This is truly the best representation of Kalimantan culinary genius. If you are someone who enjoys gastronomic adventure, you must try Lempok Durian. It is that unforgettable, denser, and overwhelmingly sticky taste of Borneo!