Lebaran holiday is over, one by one family members leave their hometown to work in the cities. In the hinterland of Bireuen, Nur Asiah is busy wrapping up the remaining cakes of Lebaran for her son who will return to Banda Aceh on Tuesday, July 21, 2015.
"Do not forget the direction, Mak," said Dewi to her mother. Kukukarah or kue karah is a typical cake that is durable, many found in Aceh at the time of Idul Fitri.
The cake was unique and strange, like a crescent or a round coil. The shape is exactly a sparrow nest. Keukarah is made from the main ingredients of flour and coconut milk. The size varies, from half of the palm to an adult's palm. The texture is fragile and crisp like children.
Not many can make this type of cake. The process is quite difficult and in the traditional way. "It takes patience and caution. I ordered it, did not make it myself, "said Nur.
The process of making it starts by stirring the rice, sugar, and water flour into a thick dough. Then there is a coconut shell container with lots of holes to drain the dough into the cooking oil. Then formed a slab like a bird's nest-like fiber. Once cooked, the plate is folded according to taste, like a crescent moon or round coil, or any other form.
Keukarah is often found in the cake market centers in Banda Aceh and Lampisang Village, Aceh Besar, before the holiday. In addition, at the cake hawker center along the national road in Aceh, also sold.
"Many also order the cakes for Lebaran," said Ramli, a cake seller at Pasar Aceh, Banda Aceh.
He said, when the flow back, many buyers who want to return out of town bring home keukarah as souvenirs. "In addition to keukarah, many are buying boi, other typical Aceh cakes."
Kue keukarah can be stored in a long time, reaching one monthly. But rarely did the cake last long in a jar. Because crunchy and liked by children, jars of keukarah at home was quickly empty.