Dawet Ayu

Dawet Ayu is another sensation to be found in the small city of Banjarnegara. The name Dawet Ayu is even more popular than the name of the city itself. No wonder if local government and people of Banjarnegara choose Dawet Ayu to be one of the culinary icons of Banjarnegara.

Dawet Ayu is a unique beverage of Banjarnegara which is slightly similar to es cendol. A glass of Dawet Ayu indeed consists of cendol, coconut milk and sugar, which make it similar to es cendol found in other places. The difference lies on the toughness quality of cendol and the taste of the sugar. Cendol in Dawet Ayu has tougher texture than common cendol. In addition, cendol in Dawet Ayu tends to be shorter because it uses natural ingredients.

Cendol in Dawet Ayu is made from the combination of rice flour and tapioca flour. The green color of cendol is obtained from the essence of pandan leaves. This essence makes cendol of Dawet Ayu more aromatic. The cendol dough is filtered using bamboo filter with holes about 0.25 to 0.5 cm. The natural ingredients of the dough results in shorter cendol. This quality is not found in cendol made from chemical process. The length of cendol Dawet Ayu is about 1-2 cm.

After filtered and formed, the dough is then boiled until it floats on the water surface. The warm cendol can also be the sign of cendol quality. The more quality the cendol, the stronger the scent of pandan is. Moreover, the toughness remains. Cendol is then mixed with thick coconut milk. Some sellers mix cendol directly with thinner coconut milk. However, excessive water usually makes cendol swell and broken. The quality of coconut milk also represents the quality of Dawet Ayu. The sellers of original Dawet Ayu usually mix cendol with thick coconut milk first and add thinner coconut milk later when Dawet is ready to be served.

In addition to cendol and coconut milk, other ingredient determining the quality of Dawet Ayu is the sugar. Sugar used in Dawet Ayu is not liquid brown sugar but areca palm sugar. This sugar is made from the droplets of juice from Areca palm trees (Arenga pinnata). Areca palm sugar has natural sweet taste as well as delicious smell. In Dawet Ayu, areca palm sugar must be melted first. After that, mix it with sliced jackfruit or durian fruit. This combination of fruits and sugar produces unique smell and taste. This liquid is the main difference which distinguishes Dawet Ayu from es cendol.

We are sugar country. We always combine every food and drinks with sugar. Mostly it's too sweet for westerners. My first impression when I was drinking with an American on Maliboro Traditional Market, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. We had sat down near the big tree then drink a traditional beverage called dawet in a very hot day. The American put it half then said nothing. ''Is that too sweet man?'', I asked. ''Mmmm...'' . Then I knew the answer is yes.

Dawet is one of the most popular Javanese traditional beverages. Javanese people know dawet for hundreds years. Every place in Java has its own dawet, similar one into another. But its story behind is always different.
Dawet also used the traditional and natural essences to keep it delicious such as pandan leaf to get the green color, merang (the rice straw of paddy) to get the black color. Dawet also used in Javanese traditional wedding as a symbol of brotherhood and justice to human beings. Them who come to the party will be buy Dawet with the kreweng (a piece of roof tile make by clay as a money imitation) for transaction.

If you the one of dawet lover, you can bought or make it individual. It's not too difficult to cook. Firs, you must make the batter; stir up or beat the 125 gram rice flour with 450 milliliters water. Then, you must boil the water mixed of pandan leaf filter, salts. Stir up continuously until get a strong batter. Don't stop stir up the batter in order to get the kalis batter (not adhering in hand). If the batter has been cooked, you will be move the batter in sieve.

Secondly, take the hot batter on the sieve, press the batter until become a long granule. The long granule is patch in washbasin which filled with fresh water or ice water. You must leak through drain the batter to reduce the water.

Thirdly, you must make the syrup. Boil the 100 ml water with 200 gram red sugar until fused which is brown color. And the last step is dished of dawet in a glass or bowl; put much red sugar syrup in a glass, add the dawet granule and a little pieces of jackfruits, and then put much milk squeezed from coconut then add the ice.

Dawet will break up thirsty, make you surfeited. Let us found the sweet sensation in a bowl of dawet. The sugar taste is the special character of dawet. You can chose many kind of dawet, such as dawet ayu, dawet ireng (the black dawet), and etc. Dawet also has become the characteristic food in Banjarnegara. At there, dawet is familiar with name Dawet Ayu Banjarnegara. So, don't forget to get the dawet ayu as gift brought back from a trip. In Jogjakarta, you can find dawet in Pakualaman Square, Gajah Mada Boulevard, Alun-alun Utara and Malioboro.
Dawet Ayu is usually served cold with ice cube. Usually, Dawet Ayu is served along with main course. Therefore, some food stalls or restaurants in Banjarnegara serve Dawet Ayu as main beverage.
B. Features

Its unique scent makes Dawet Ayu unforgettable. Dawet Ayu also represents spices and crop icons produced in Banjarnegara, such as corn, areca palm, and durian. The unique smell is absent in any other cold drinks. Thus Dawet Ayu is unique among other cold drinks. This uniqueness attracts visitors as well as people of Banjarnegara who live in other cities.
C. Location

To get Dawet Ayu, visitors can go to Banjarnegara. One of famous dawet sellers is at the north side of Banjarnegara bus station. Not only in Banjarnegara, Dawet Ayu can also be found in other tourism destination especially in Banyumas, Central Java and Yogyakarta. Dawet Ayu which becomes more popular can also be found in big cities in west part of Indonesia, such as Jakarta, Purwokerto, and Bandung. In Jakarta, Dawet Ayu becomes menu of franchise business.
D. Price

A glass of Dawet Ayu is priced at Rp 2.000,00 – Rp 4.000,00.