Memories worth more than gold
PARIT: Rosnani Mohd Yunus has a deep liking for kuih jongkong, Perak’s traditional sweet treat, as it reminds her of the precious moments she shared with her late husband.

Making kuih jongkong serves as a form of therapy for Rosnani, offering her a comforting routine to ease the longing for her late husband, Khairuddin Shariff, especially during Ramadan.

Rosnani, 62, affectionately referred to as Nani, finds comfort in upholding the tradition of making the dessert, once a source of additional income, as it reminds her of the precious moments spent with her late husband in the kitchen.

“When my late husband was around, he would lend a hand every day, helping with everything from preparing the ingredients to getting the dessert ready to be sold to the villagers.

“Nowadays, I no longer sell them. I prepare this dessert for my children to enjoy during the fasting month and it somewhat eases my longing for my husband,” she said when met at her residence in Kampung Seri Kaya, Bota Kiri here.

Admitting that kuih jongkong has increasingly been forgotten, Rosnani said she began learning to make the traditional dessert from her mother at the age of 18.

“Back then, my mother ran a small business making and selling kuih. She made various types of kuih and I would help to sell them to our neighbours.

“Kuih jongkong is among the kuih my mother would sell during Ramadan. Initially, I just wanted to help my mother to make her job easier. I never anticipated that over time I would develop an interest in it, which continues until now,” she told Bernama.

Asked about the process of preparing kuih jongkong – which means “gold bullion” – the mother of eight said the ingredients typically include rice flour, water, sugar, salt, coconut milk, food colouring, banana leaves and pandan leaves.

She added that the rice flour, water and salt should be mixed well and cooked over low heat until it reaches the desired texture.

“The cooking process is crucial, we must consistently stir the mixture to prevent it from overheating. Then, we add the food colouring and pandan leaves to enhance the colour and aroma.

“After that we let the mixture cool for 10 to 15 minutes, before blending it with sugar and coconut milk. Lastly, we wrap it in banana leaves and steam for at least 10 minutes.

“The texture of this kuih jongkong is delicately soft and sweet, similar to kuih tepung pelita. In some places, this kuih will be served chilled,” she said.

On the difficulty in getting kuih jongkong, particularly during Ramadan, Rosnani said it’s likely due to lack of demand from customers and not many know how to prepare it.

“The younger generation is not familiar with this traditional dessert and prefers fried or instant food. This could be why it’s challenging for us to see this kuih being sold nowadays,” she added.
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PARIT: Rosnani Mohd Yunus has a deep liking for kuih jongkong, Perak’s traditional sweet treat, as it reminds her of the precious moments she shared with her late husband.