Cendol is an iced sweet dessert that contains droplets of green
rice flour
Rice flour (also rice powder) is a form of flour made from finely milled rice. It is distinct from rice starch, which is usually produced by steeping rice in lye. Rice flour is a common substitute for wheat flour. It is also used as a thickening a ...
jelly,
coconut milk
Coconut milk is an opaque, milky-white liquid extracted from the grated pulp of mature coconuts. The opacity and rich taste of coconut milk are due to its high oil content, most of which is saturated fat. Coconut milk is a traditional food i ...
and
palm sugar
Palm sugar is a sweetener derived from any variety of palm tree. Palm sugar is sometimes qualified by the type of palm, as in coconut palm sugar. While sugars from different palms may have slightly different compositions, all are processed s ...
syrup. It is commonly found in Southeast Asia and is popular in
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
,
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
,
Brunei
Brunei ( , ), formally Brunei Darussalam ( ms, Negara Brunei Darussalam, Jawi alphabet, Jawi: , ), is a country located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Apart from its South China Sea coast, it is completely sur ...
,
Cambodia
Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand t ...
,
East Timor
East Timor (), also known as Timor-Leste (), officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is an island country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the exclave of Oecusse on the island's north-weste ...
,
Laos
Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist ...
,
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
,
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
,
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
, and
Myanmar
Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...
. Next to the green jelly, additional toppings might be added, including diced
jackfruit
The jackfruit (''Artocarpus heterophyllus''), also known as jack tree, is a species of tree in the fig, mulberry, and breadfruit family (Moraceae). Its origin is in the region between the Western Ghats of southern India, all of Bangladesh, ...
, sweetened red
azuki beans,
or
durian
The durian (, ) is the edible fruit of several tree species belonging to the genus ''Durio''. There are 30 recognised ''Durio'' species, at least nine of which produce edible fruit. ''Durio zibethinus'', native to Borneo and Sumatra, is the onl ...
.
Etymology
![Cendol in a Glass](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e5/Cendol_in_a_Glass.JPG)
Earliest written records of the word ''cendol'' or ''tjendol'' (Dutch spelling) can be traced to dictionaries and books of the 19th century in the
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies ( nl, Nederlands(ch)-Indië; ), was a Dutch colony consisting of what is now Indonesia. It was formed from the nationalised trading posts of the Dutch East India Company, which ...
(now Indonesia). One of the oldest known records of the word ''tjendol'' is listed in the 1866 ''Oost-Indisch kookboek'' or East Indies recipe book. This book includes a cendol recipe with the title "Tjendol of Dawet" which indicates that cendol and
dawet
Cendol is an iced sweet dessert that contains droplets of green rice flour jelly, coconut milk and palm sugar syrup. It is commonly found in Southeast Asia and is popular in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Laos, Vietnam, ...
were already used synonymously at that time. In the dictionary ''Supplement op het Maleisch-Nederduitsch Woordenboek'' (1869) by Jan Pijnappel (Gz.), tjendol is described as a kind of drink or watery paste made from sago, coconut milk, sugar and salt.
In Malaya, the word "chendol" was first mentioned in 1932 as one of the foodstuffs available in
Kuala Lumpur
, anthem = '' Maju dan Sejahtera''
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia
, pushpin_map_caption =
, coordinates =
, su ...
as recorded in the Malay Concordance Project that collects Malay writings.
There is a popular belief that the name "cendol" is related to, or originated from, the word ''jendol'', in reference to the swollen green worm-like rice flour jelly;
in
Javanese,
Sundanese
Sundanese may refer to:
* Sundanese people
* Sundanese language
* Sundanese script
Standard Sundanese script (''Aksara Sunda Baku'', ) is a writing system which is used by the Sundanese people. It is built based on Old Sundanese script (' ...
,
Indonesian
Indonesian is anything of, from, or related to Indonesia, an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. It may refer to:
* Indonesians, citizens of Indonesia
** Native Indonesians, diverse groups of local inhabitants of the archipelago
** Indonesian ...
, and
Malay
Malay may refer to:
Languages
* Malay language or Bahasa Melayu, a major Austronesian language spoken in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore
** History of the Malay language, the Malay language from the 4th to the 14th century
** Indonesi ...
, ''jendol'' means "bump," "bulge,"
or "swollen." In most parts of Indonesia, ''cendol'' refer to the green rice flour jelly; while the concoction of that green rice flour jellies with coconut milk, shaved ice, areca palm sugar and sometimes diced
jackfruit
The jackfruit (''Artocarpus heterophyllus''), also known as jack tree, is a species of tree in the fig, mulberry, and breadfruit family (Moraceae). Its origin is in the region between the Western Ghats of southern India, all of Bangladesh, ...
is called ''es cendol'' (in West Java) or ''dawet'' (in Central and East Java).
The Indonesian dictionary
''Kamus Besar'' describes ''cendol'' as a snack made from
rice flour
Rice flour (also rice powder) is a form of flour made from finely milled rice. It is distinct from rice starch, which is usually produced by steeping rice in lye. Rice flour is a common substitute for wheat flour. It is also used as a thickening a ...
and other ingredients that are formed by filters, then mixed with palm sugar and coconut milk (for beverage). The Malay dictionary ''
Kamus Dewan
''Kamus Dewan'' (Malay for ''The Institute Dictionary'') is a Malay-language dictionary compiled by Teuku Iskandar and published by Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka. This dictionary is useful to students who are studying Malay literature as they provide ...
'' similarly defines it as a porridge-like drink with long strands made of rice flour in coconut milk and sugar syrup.
In Vietnam, this worm-like rice flour concoction is called ''
bánh lọt
Bánh lọt () is sweet rice pasta dessert in southern Vietnamese cuisine. It is made with rice, salt, tapioca flour, coconut milk, sugar and water. ''Bánh lọt'' is also used to make two types of chè: ''chè bánh lọt ''and ''chè đậu đ ...
'' or "secreted jellies". ''
Bánh lọt
Bánh lọt () is sweet rice pasta dessert in southern Vietnamese cuisine. It is made with rice, salt, tapioca flour, coconut milk, sugar and water. ''Bánh lọt'' is also used to make two types of chè: ''chè bánh lọt ''and ''chè đậu đ ...
'' is a common ingredient in a Vietnamese dessert drink called ''
chè
''Chè'' () is any traditional Vietnamese sweet beverage, dessert soup or stew, or pudding. ''Chè'' includes a wide variety of distinct soups or puddings. Varieties of Chè can be made with mung beans, black-eyed peas, kidney beans, tapioca ...
''. In Thailand it is called ''lot chong'' ( th,
ลอดช่อง, ) which can be translated as "gone through a hole", indicating the way it is made by pressing the warm
dough
Dough is a thick, malleable, sometimes elastic paste made from grains or from leguminous or chestnut crops. Dough is typically made by mixing flour with a small amount of water or other liquid and sometimes includes yeast or other leavening ag ...
through a sieve into a container of cold water. In Burma, it is known as ''mont let saung'' or . In Cambodia, it is known as ''lot'' (លត /lɔːt/), ''bang-aem lot'' (បង្អែមលត /bɑŋʔaɛm lɔːt/), ''nom lot'' (នំលត /nɷm lɔːt/), and ''banh lot'' (បាញ់លត /baɲ lɔːt/).
History
![COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Een dawet verkoper op de pasar te Malang Oost-Java](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/02/COLLECTIE_TROPENMUSEUM_Een_dawet_verkoper_op_de_pasar_te_Malang_Oost-Java._TMnr_60005853.jpg)
The origin of cendol is not clear, and this sweet drink is widely spread across Southeast Asia. However, one suggestion is that cendol originated in
Java
Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's List ...
, Indonesia as ''dawet''.
The
Javanese name of "dawet" was recorded in early 19th century Javanese manuscript of
Serat Centhini
''Serat Centhini'' is a twelve volume compilation of Javanese tales and teachings, written in verse and published in 1814. The work was commissioned, directed and partially written by Crown Prince Mangkunegoro, later enthroned as Pakubuwono V of ...
, composed between 1814 and 1823 in
Surakarta
Surakarta ( jv, ꦯꦸꦫꦏꦂꦠ), known colloquially as Solo ( jv, ꦱꦭ; ), is a city in Central Java, Indonesia. The 44 km2 (16.2 sq mi) city adjoins Karanganyar Regency and Boyolali Regency to the north, Karanganyar Regency and Sukoh ...
, Central Java. An Indonesian academic suggests that a ''dawet'' sweet drink may have been recorded in the Kresnayana manuscript, dated from
Kediri Kingdom
Kediri Kingdom (also known as Panjalu) Javanese script : ꧋ꦥŋꦗꦭꦸ, was a ''Hindu-Buddhist'' Javanese Kingdom based in East Java from 1042 to around 1222. This kingdom is centered in the ancient city ''Dahanapura'', despite the lack o ...
circa 12th century Java.
In Java, ''dawet'' refer to the whole concoction of ''cendol'' green jellies, usually made from ''
aren Aren may refer to:
People
; Given name
* Andreas Arén (born 1985), Swedish ski jumper
* Aren b, also known as Brendan Vintedge, American singer-songwriter
* Aren Davoudi (born 1986), Armenian basketball player
* Aren Kuri (born 1991), Japanese bas ...
'' sagoo or rice flour, coconut milk and liquid ''gula jawa'' (palm sugar syrup). An Indonesian historian argues that sagoo or rice flour might have been used as sweet beverage ingredient in the rice agriculture society of ancient Java. Indeed, cendol jellies and its variations are rural agricultural product, still traditionally produced in Javanese villages.
In Banjarnegara, Central Java, ''dawet'' is traditionally served without ice. Today, however additional ice cubes or shaved ice is commonly added into this dessert drink.
Cendol, however, has developed differently in different countries. In Indonesia, cendol only refers to the green "pandan jelly served in coconut milk", where sometimes
pandanus
''Pandanus'' is a genus of monocots with some 750 accepted species. They are palm-like, dioecious trees and shrubs native to the Old World tropics and subtropics. The greatest number of species are found in Madagascar and Malaysia. Common names ...
leaves or pieces of
jackfruit
The jackfruit (''Artocarpus heterophyllus''), also known as jack tree, is a species of tree in the fig, mulberry, and breadfruit family (Moraceae). Its origin is in the region between the Western Ghats of southern India, all of Bangladesh, ...
may be added.
[ This is different to the cendol in Malaysia and Singapore where various ingredients such as sweetened red beans and sweet corn may be mixed in like an ]es campur
Es campur (Indonesian for "mixed ice") is an Indonesian cold and sweet dessert concoction of fruit cocktails, coconut, tapioca pearls, grass jellies, etc. served in shaved ice, syrup and condensed milk.
In Indonesia, es campur is sold from humb ...
.[
Cendol is typically served with ice, and this may have developed when ice became readily available. It may have originated in Malayan port cities such as ]Malacca
Malacca ( ms, Melaka) is a state in Malaysia located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, next to the Strait of Malacca. Its capital is Malacca City, dubbed the Historic City, which has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site si ...
and Penang
Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay ...
where British refrigerated ships' technology would provide the required ice.
In Javanese tradition, dawet or cendol is a part of traditional Javanese wedding ceremony. The ''dodol dawet'' ( Javanese for "selling dawet") is performed during Midodareni ceremony, a day before the wedding. After the ''siraman'' bridal shower, the parents would sell dawet to the attending guests and relatives. The guest paid the dawet using terracotta coins that would be given to the bride as a symbol of family earnings. The symbolic meaning was as the parents' hope that the tomorrow wedding would be attended by a lot of guests, "as plenty as the cendol jellies that being sold." In Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies ( nl, Nederlands(ch)-Indië; ), was a Dutch colony consisting of what is now Indonesia. It was formed from the nationalised trading posts of the Dutch East India Company, which ...
Java, dawet street hawkers using ''pikulan'' (baskets carried with balancing rod) are commonly found in Javanese cities, as can be seen in the old photograph dated from circa 1935.
In Indonesia five traditions of cendol making has been recognised as the intangible cultural heritage
An intangible cultural heritage (ICH) is a practice, representation, expression, knowledge, or skill considered by UNESCO to be part of a place's cultural heritage. Buildings, historic places, monuments, and artifacts are cultural property. Int ...
by the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture. Three dawet (Javanese version of cendol) traditions has been recognised in 2010 and 2018, all registered under Yogyakarta
Yogyakarta (; jv, ꦔꦪꦺꦴꦒꦾꦏꦂꦠ ; pey, Jogjakarta) is the capital city of Special Region of Yogyakarta in Indonesia, in the south-central part of the island of Java. As the only Indonesian royal city still ruled by a monarchy, ...
province. They are dawet, dawet camcau, and dawet sambel. Es cendol was recognized in 2016 registered under West Java
West Java ( id, Jawa Barat, su, ᮏᮝ ᮊᮥᮜᮧᮔ᮪, romanized ''Jawa Kulon'') is a province of Indonesia on the western part of the island of Java, with its provincial capital in Bandung. West Java is bordered by the province of Banten ...
province, while cendol was recognized in 2020 registered under Riau Islands
The Riau Islands ( id, Kepulauan Riau) is a province of Indonesia. It comprises a total of 1,796 islands scattered between Sumatra, Malay Peninsula, and Borneo including the Riau Archipelago. Situated on one of the world's busiest shipping la ...
province. Cendol has been declared a Malaysian heritage food by the Malaysian Department of National Heritage.
Ingredients
The ingredients of cendol relies heavily on ''aren'' (sugar palm) and coconut plants. The dessert's original or basic ingredients are coconut milk
Coconut milk is an opaque, milky-white liquid extracted from the grated pulp of mature coconuts. The opacity and rich taste of coconut milk are due to its high oil content, most of which is saturated fat. Coconut milk is a traditional food i ...
, jelly noodles made from rice flour
Rice flour (also rice powder) is a form of flour made from finely milled rice. It is distinct from rice starch, which is usually produced by steeping rice in lye. Rice flour is a common substitute for wheat flour. It is also used as a thickening a ...
with green food colouring
Food coloring, or color additive, is any dye, pigment, or substance that imparts color when it is added to food or drink. They come in many forms consisting of liquids, powders, gels, and pastes. Food coloring is used in both commercial food ...
(usually derived from the pandan leaf
''Pandanus amaryllifolius'' is a tropical plant in the ''Pandanus'' (screwpine) genus, which is commonly known as pandan (; ). It has fragrant leaves which are used widely for flavouring in the cuisines of Southeast Asia and South Asia.
Occurre ...
), shaved ice
Shaved ice is a large family of ice-based desserts made of fine shavings of ice or finely crushed ice and sweet condiments or syrups. Usually, the syrup is added after the ice has been frozen and shaved—typically at the point of sale; however, ...
, and palm sugar
Palm sugar is a sweetener derived from any variety of palm tree. Palm sugar is sometimes qualified by the type of palm, as in coconut palm sugar. While sugars from different palms may have slightly different compositions, all are processed s ...
. The cendol in Indonesia is usually served in a tall glass, assembled with liquid ''gula jawa
Coconut sugar (also known as coco sugar, coconut palm sugar, coco sap sugar or coconut blossom sugar) is a palm sugar produced from the sap of the flower bud stem of the coconut palm.
Other types of palm sugar are made from the Kithul palm (Caryo ...
'' or palm sugar syrup in the bottom, followed by green jellies, poured with coconut milk, and topped with shaved ice.[
The Singaporean and Malaysian versions usually have sweetened red beans added, and are served in a bowl instead of a glass. The palm sugar, often added as a dark syrup, is referred to as '']gula melaka
Palm sugar is a sweetener derived from any variety of palm tree. Palm sugar is sometimes qualified by the type of palm, as in coconut palm sugar. While sugars from different palms may have slightly different compositions, all are processed s ...
''.
In Sunda Sunda may refer to:
Europe
* Sunda, Faroe Islands
India
* Sunda (asura), an asura brother of Upasunda
* Sunda (clan), a clan (gotra) of Jats in Haryana and Rajasthan, India
Southeast Asia
* Sundanese (disambiguation)
** Sundanese people ...
, Indonesia, cendol is a dark-green pulpy dish of rice (or sago) flour worms with coconut milk and syrup of areca sugar. In Javanese, ''cendol'' refers to the green jelly-like part of the beverage, while the combination of ''cendol'', palm sugar and coconut milk is called ''dawet''. Today, the green ''cendol'' jelly noodles are mainly made from rice flour
Rice flour (also rice powder) is a form of flour made from finely milled rice. It is distinct from rice starch, which is usually produced by steeping rice in lye. Rice flour is a common substitute for wheat flour. It is also used as a thickening a ...
, since rice is more readily available. However, in Java, a traditional ''cendol'' worm-like jelly noodles was made from ''sagu aren'', or sago
Sago () is a starch extracted from the pith, or spongy core tissue, of various tropical palm stems, especially those of ''Metroxylon sagu''. It is a major staple food for the lowland peoples of New Guinea and the Maluku Islands, where it is ...
starch extracted from the trunk of sugar palm (''Arenga pinnata
''Arenga pinnata'' (syn. ''Arenga saccharifera'') is an economically important feather palm native to tropical Asia, from eastern India east to Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines in the east. Common names include sugar palm, areng palm (als ...
'').
In Indonesia, additional ingredients might include tapai
''Tapai'' (also ''tapay'' or ''tape'') is a traditional fermented preparation of rice or other starchy foods, and is found throughout much of Southeast Asia, especially in Austronesian cultures, and parts of East Asia. It refers to both the ...
(fermented sweet cassava), black grass jelly
Grass jelly, also known as leaf jelly or herb jelly, is a jelly-like dessert eaten in East and Southeast Asia. It is created by using Chinese mesona (a member of the mint family) and has a mild, slightly bitter taste. It is served chilled, w ...
, and sweetened condensed milk
Condensed milk is cow's milk from which water has been removed (roughly 60% of it). It is most often found with sugar added, in the form of ''sweetened condensed milk'' (SCM), to the extent that the terms "condensed milk" and "sweetened condens ...
. In Indonesia and Thailand, cendol usually served in tall glass, in Malaysia and Singapore however, they usually served in a bowl. To make cendol chewy and not hard, the mixture must contain sago flour and rice flour in the right composition.
In Myanmar, ''mont let saung'' has 2 primary forms, ''htannyet mont let saung'' (ထန်းလျက်မုန့်လက်ဆောင်း), which is served in a caramel-coloured jaggery
Jaggery is a traditional non-centrifugal cane sugar consumed in the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and Africa. It is a concentrated product of cane juice and often date or palm sap without separation of the molasses and crystals, and can ...
syrup, and ''onno mont let saung'' (အုန်းနို့မုန့်လက်ဆောင်း), which is served with coconut milk
Coconut milk is an opaque, milky-white liquid extracted from the grated pulp of mature coconuts. The opacity and rich taste of coconut milk are due to its high oil content, most of which is saturated fat. Coconut milk is a traditional food i ...
. The snack is an iconic snack during Thingyan
Thingyan (, ; Arakanese: ; from Sanskrit '' saṁkrānti,'' which means "transit f the Sun from Pisces to Aries) is the Burmese New Year Festival that usually occurs in middle of April. Thingyan is the first ever water festival celebrated in ...
(Burmese New Year), where it is commonly served by '' satuditha'' donors to revellers. Thai ''lot chong'' is closer to the Javanese original, only consisting of green worm-like jellies, coconut milk, liquid palm sugar, and shaved ice.
File:Cendol.jpg, Cendol in Indonesia refer to the green jellies
File:Jakarta street-side Es Cendol 4.jpg, A glass of Jakarta street-side ''es cendol''
File:Lot chong - Bangkok - 2017-05-12 (001).jpg, A glass of simpler Thai ''lot chong''
File:Chendol in Malaysia - December 2016.jpg, Cendol in Malaysia with red beans
File:Chendol in a bowl.JPG, A bowl of ''chendol'' sold in Singapore
Variants
In Indonesia, the most famous variant is Javanese ''es dawet ayu'' from Banjarnegara Banjarnegara is a town in Central Java, Indonesia and the seat of Banjarnegara Regency. It is 55 km from the Dieng Plateau region and a centre for ceramic arts.
Climate
Banjarnegara has a tropical rainforest climate
A tropical rainforest cli ...
, Central Java. Another variant is a black cendol called ''es dawet ireng'' from Purworejo, Central Java. ''Ireng'' is Javanese word for "black". Instead of green pandan leaf, this black cendol acquired its colour from ''merang'' or the ash of burned rice stalk mixed with water.
Other than the basic ingredients of green jelly noodles, palm sugar syrup, and coconut milk, iced cendol might be served with additional toppings. Popular additional toppings in Indonesia include diced jackfruit
The jackfruit (''Artocarpus heterophyllus''), also known as jack tree, is a species of tree in the fig, mulberry, and breadfruit family (Moraceae). Its origin is in the region between the Western Ghats of southern India, all of Bangladesh, ...
, tapai
''Tapai'' (also ''tapay'' or ''tape'') is a traditional fermented preparation of rice or other starchy foods, and is found throughout much of Southeast Asia, especially in Austronesian cultures, and parts of East Asia. It refers to both the ...
(fermented sweet cassava), durian
The durian (, ) is the edible fruit of several tree species belonging to the genus ''Durio''. There are 30 recognised ''Durio'' species, at least nine of which produce edible fruit. ''Durio zibethinus'', native to Borneo and Sumatra, is the onl ...
flesh, and chocolate condensed milk. In Malaysia, additional toppings such as red beans
Red bean is a common name for several plants and may refer to:
* Adzuki bean (''Vigna angularis''), commonly used in Japanese, Korean, and Chinese cuisine, particularly as red bean paste
* Kidney bean, red variety of '' Phaseolus vulgaris'', c ...
, glutinous rice
Glutinous rice (''Oryza sativa var. glutinosa''; also called sticky rice, sweet rice or waxy rice) is a type of rice grown mainly in Southeast and East Asia, and the northeastern regions of South Asia, which has opaque grains, very low amylose ...
, grass jelly
Grass jelly, also known as leaf jelly or herb jelly, is a jelly-like dessert eaten in East and Southeast Asia. It is created by using Chinese mesona (a member of the mint family) and has a mild, slightly bitter taste. It is served chilled, w ...
, creamed corn
Creamed corn (which is also known by other names, such as cream style sweet corn) is a type of creamed vegetable dish made by combining pieces of whole sweetcorn with a soupy liquid of milky residue from pulped corn kernels scraped from the cob ...
, durian, glutinous rice tapai and even ice cream might also be included.[Penang Food , Cendol , The Best Penang Hawker Food and Restaurant Guide](_blank)
The influence of Singapore and the West has given rise to different variations of cendol, such as cendol with vanilla ice cream or topped with durian
The durian (, ) is the edible fruit of several tree species belonging to the genus ''Durio''. There are 30 recognised ''Durio'' species, at least nine of which produce edible fruit. ''Durio zibethinus'', native to Borneo and Sumatra, is the onl ...
. Another recent variant in Indonesia is cendol latte, which is a mix between cendol and coffee latte
Caffè latte (), often shortened to just latte () in English, is a coffee beverage of Italian origin made with espresso and steamed milk. Variants include the chocolate-flavored mocha or replacing the coffee with another beverage base such as ma ...
.
Selling
Cendol has become a quintessential part of cuisine in Southeast Asia and is often sold by vendors at roadsides, hawker centre
A hawker centre or cooked food centre is an open-air complex commonly found in Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore. They were built to provide a more sanitary alternative to mobile hawker carts and contain many stalls that sell different variet ...
s, and food courts
A food court (in Asia-Pacific also called food hall or hawker centre) is generally an indoor plaza or common area within a facility that is contiguous with the counters of multiple food vendors and provides a common area for self-serve dinner. ...
. ''Cendol'' vendors are almost ubiquitous in Indonesian cities, especially Jakarta
Jakarta (; , bew, Jakarte), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta ( id, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta) is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Lying on the northwest coast of Java, the world's most populous island, Jakarta ...
, Bandung
Bandung ( su, ᮘᮔ᮪ᮓᮥᮀ, Bandung, ; ) is the capital city of the Indonesian province of West Java. It has a population of 2,452,943 within its city limits according to the official estimates as at mid 2021, making it the fourth most ...
, and Yogyakarta
Yogyakarta (; jv, ꦔꦪꦺꦴꦒꦾꦏꦂꦠ ; pey, Jogjakarta) is the capital city of Special Region of Yogyakarta in Indonesia, in the south-central part of the island of Java. As the only Indonesian royal city still ruled by a monarchy, ...
. Originally ''cendol'' or ''dawet'' in Java was served without ice, but after the introduction of refrigeration
The term refrigeration refers to the process of removing heat from an enclosed space or substance for the purpose of lowering the temperature.International Dictionary of Refrigeration, http://dictionary.iifiir.org/search.phpASHRAE Terminology, ht ...
technology, the cold ''cendol'' with shaved ice (''es serut'') was available and widely popular.
In Indonesia and Malaysia, ''cendol'' is commonly sold on the roadside by vendors. It is even dessert fare in Singapore, found in dessert stalls, food centres, coffee shops, and food courts.
File:Cendol Vendor.JPG, Roadside ''cendol'' vendor in Jakarta
Jakarta (; , bew, Jakarte), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta ( id, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta) is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Lying on the northwest coast of Java, the world's most populous island, Jakarta ...
File:Sweet Cendol.jpg, ''Dawet'' seller in Solo
Solo or SOLO may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Comics
* ''Solo'' (DC Comics), a DC comics series
* Solo, a 1996 mini-series from Dark Horse Comics
Characters
* Han Solo, a ''Star Wars'' character
* Jacen Solo, a Jedi in the non-canonical ''S ...
, Central Java
File:ChendolPenang.jpg, A stall selling ''cendol'' in Penang
Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay ...
, Malaysia
File:Teochew Chendul (3468803260).jpg, Teochew chendul in Penang
File:AkakaCendol.jpg, Cendol Melaka with Durian selling in JohorBahru, Malaysia Shopping Mall
In popular culture
In colloquial Indonesian, the term "cendol" has become an online rating system originated from Indonesian internet forum KASKUS
Kaskus is an Indonesian Internet forum that describes itself as "the largest Indonesian community". Registration is required for new users to participate in the community, and every registered member has access to more than twenty regional and subj ...
, which its user accounts rating system represented as green "cendol" for positive and red "bata" (brick
A brick is a type of block used to build walls, pavements and other elements in masonry construction. Properly, the term ''brick'' denotes a block composed of dried clay, but is now also used informally to denote other chemically cured cons ...
) for negative. If an online items tweaks interest, a user punch in one or more green commas resembling a cendol.
In December 2018, ''cendol'' became embroiled in a controversy after CNN
CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...
listed the Singapore version as one of the world's top 50 desserts, triggering a furious response from Malaysians.
See also
* Ais kacang
''Ais kacang'' (), literally meaning "bean ice", also commonly known as ABC (acronym for ''air batu campur'' (), meaning "mixed ice"), is a Malaysian dessert which is common in Malaysia, Singapore (where it is called ice ''kachang'') and Brunei ...
* Es campur
Es campur (Indonesian for "mixed ice") is an Indonesian cold and sweet dessert concoction of fruit cocktails, coconut, tapioca pearls, grass jellies, etc. served in shaved ice, syrup and condensed milk.
In Indonesia, es campur is sold from humb ...
* Es doger
Es doger is an Indonesian coconut milk-based shaved ice beverage with pinkish color often served as a dessert. It is a specialty of Bandung, West Java. The main, or base, part is sugared sweet coconut milk-based ice in pink syrup, served with ...
* Es teler
''Es teler'' is an Indonesian fruit cocktail. Avocado, coconut meat, grass jelly, jackfruit and other fruits are served with coconut milk, sweetened condensed milk, ''Pandanus amaryllifolius'' leaf (normally in the form of cocopandan syrup), su ...
* Halo-halo
Halo-halo, correctly spelled ''haluhalo'', Tagalog for "mixed" (the more common spelling instead literally equating to "mix-mix") is a popular cold dessert in the Philippines made up of crushed ice, evaporated milk or coconut milk, and vario ...
* Kakigōri
is a Japanese shaved ice dessert flavored with syrup and a sweetener, often condensed milk.新明解国語辞典(第6版)、三省堂
History
The origins of ''kakigōri'' date back to the Heian period in Japanese history, when blocks of ic ...
* List of desserts
A dessert is typically the sweet course that, after the entrée and main course, concludes a meal in the culture of many countries, particularly Western culture. The course usually consists of sweet foods, but may include other items. The word ...
References
External links
Cendol mention in Malaysia writing 1932 – malay concordance project.
{{Burmese cuisine
Frozen desserts
Indonesian desserts
Malaysian cuisine
Non-alcoholic drinks
Singaporean cuisine
Bruneian cuisine
Foods containing coconut
Malay words and phrases
Burmese cuisine
Thai desserts and snacks
Indonesian words and phrases
Street food in Indonesia
Burmese desserts and snacks
Vietnamese desserts
Cambodian desserts
Laotian desserts
East Timorese cuisine
Rice flour dishes