Geblek

Geblek is a traditional food from the area of Kolunprogo on the Indonesian island of Java, where there is a large quantity of cassava production.  It is made from wet cassava starch and has a savory and salty taste. It is in the shape of a figure eight and white in color, with a consistency that is crunchy on the outside and jelly-like on the inside (a consistency called kinyel-kinyel).   To make geblek, cassava is peeled and grated and then water is added and filtered to extract a starch. Some of the starch is then braised, while some is left as-is. The two starches are mixed together, and seasoning (such as galic and salt) is added. This is mixed until no longer sticky, and then shaped into circles joined to form a figure-eight shape. This mixture is fried and served hot, often with another typical Indonesian food, besengek tempe benguk. Today, geblek is rare and can be found only in villages’ local markets. Geblek is considered a very ordinary food and has difficulty competing against modern and imported food products, especially among younger consumers. Geblek is also not found outside of Kulonprogo.