Kue gapit is an Indonesian '' kue kering'' (dry snack) which originates from

Cirebon Cirebon (, formerly rendered Cheribon or Chirebon in English) is a port city on the northern coast of the Indonesian island of Java. It is the only coastal city of West Java, located about 40 km west of the provincial border with Central Java ...

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 ...

. Generally made from

tapioca flour Tapioca (; ) is a starch extracted from the storage roots of the cassava plant (''Manihot esculenta,'' also known as manioc), a species native to the North and Northeast regions of Brazil, but whose use is now spread throughout South America. ...

, its name comes from the cooking process, in which it is grilled between iron molds like a

waffle A waffle is a dish made from leavened batter or dough that is cooked between two plates that are patterned to give a characteristic size, shape, and surface impression. There are many variations based on the type of waffle iron and recipe used ...

. The snack comes in a variety of shapes and flavors. Though it is a popular souvenir among visitors to Cirebon, residents of the region rarely eat it.

Preparation

One recipe for Kue Gapit from the Indonesian magazine '' Femina'' calls for

wheat Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologi ...

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 ...

chicken egg Humans and human ancestors have scavenged and eaten animal eggs for millions of years. Humans in Southeast Asia had domesticated chickens and harvested their eggs for food by 1,500 BCE. The most widely consumed eggs are those of fowl, especial ...

coconut water Coconut water (also coconut juice) is the clear liquid inside coconuts (fruits of the coconut palm). In early development, it serves as a suspension for the endosperm of the coconut during the nuclear phase of development. As growth continue ...

, salt, sugar, and cinnamon. The egg is first beaten, then the cinnamon and sugar is mixed in. Once it has been absorbed by the mixture, the flour and salt is added, and this concoction is mixed further. After adding the coconut water, a tablespoon of the mixture is added between iron molds and grilled until it has been cooked. This is repeated until the mixture is used up. The resulting Kue are then stored for later consumption. Generally, however,

tapioca Tapioca (; ) is a starch extracted from the storage roots of the cassava plant (''Manihot esculenta,'' also known as manioc), a species native to the North Region, Brazil, North and Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast regions of Brazil, but wh ...

is used rather than this mix of flours. The kue can be eaten on its own, or as a side dish. Numerous flavors are available, including chocolate, sesame seed, cheese, ginger, prawn, and ''balado'' (spicy). Additional flavorings are added during the mixing process. The molds come in a variety of shapes and sizes, though those with

-like square patterns are common; molds with space for more than one kue are available.

Description

The name ''gapit'' comes from the cooking process, in which the kue are cooked between iron molds; this is known as ''mengapit'' in Indonesian. Kue gapit can be differentiated from semprong and simping, which are prepared in a similar fashion, by its size. Whereas simping, which originates from

Purwakarta Purwakarta (Dutch: Poerwakarta) is a district and town in West Java, Indonesia which serves as the regency seat of the Purwakarta Regency. It had a population of 165,447 at the 2010 Census,. rising to 179,233 at the 2020 Census. History Purwakar ...

, is large and thin, gapit is smaller and thicker. The cakes are traditional in the

area of

. Other snacks from the region include lantak, ladu, doplak, klitik, and intip gunung jati. Kue gapit is frequently purchased as a souvenir (''oleh-oleh''), and production is a common source of income in the region. In the lead up to

Lebaran is the popular name for two Islamic official holidays, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha in Indonesia, and is one of the major national holidays in the country. holiday officially lasts for two days in the Indonesian calendar, although the governme ...

, sales are known to double. However, the local residents of Cirebon rarely eat the kue; the ''Cirebon Post'' attributes this to a lack of knowledge of the food's heritage value and the ready availability of factory-produced snacks.

References

{{Indonesian cuisine Indonesian cuisine Kue

Preparation

Description

See also

References