5 Typical Jepara Foods That You Should Make as Souvenirs

For food hunting friends, you must try the following typical dishes from Jepara. But first, do you already know something about Jepara? Jepara is one of the districts in Central Java. This district borders directly with the sea to the west and north. Jepara is known for its beautiful carvings, and the furniture carvings from Jepara are even recognized throughout Indonesia and abroad. In addition to the beauty of furniture carvings, Jepara also has tourism potential that is equally interesting, friends. From natural tourism, culture, to history, you can find it all in Jepara, Central Java.

With many interesting tourist destinations attracting many visitors from outside the city and even international tourists, Jepara certainly has typical foods that you can take home as souvenirs. What are the typical foods from Jepara? One thing is for sure, their taste is beyond doubt. You must be curious, right? So, let's take a look at what typical foods from Jepara you can bring home as souvenirs.

Carang Madu

The first is carang madu. Do you already know what this food is? This typical Jepara cake is made from rice flour, sugar, and coconut milk shaped like carang or bamboo twigs topped with honey. In its time, carang madu was only consumed by the Chinese descendants in Jepara. However, over time, carang madu was adopted by the Javanese people and made into a special dish as part of various celebrations. You can easily find it in various souvenir shops in Jepara.

Jeruk Jepara

In addition to carang madu, another souvenir you can take home is fruit. Jeruk Jepara, or commonly known as swing orange, is a fruit that you can only find in the Keling and Celering areas of Jepara. This fruit is quite unique because it can survive in coastal sandy and salty soil. Because Jeruk Jepara grows in sandy and salty soil, this orange has a very unique taste. Believe it or not, the taste of this orange resembles lime but with a slight salty flavor. Its size is similar to lime, but it has a bright yellow color like fresh Sunkist oranges.

Kerupuk Bawang

The next souvenir is kerupuk bawang, which is a typical food from Jepara. You must be quite familiar with this type of cracker. But don't be mistaken, Jepara's kerupuk bawang is different from kerupuk bawang from other regions, friends! If you find it in Jepara, this kerupuk bawang will be seasoned with a little fish broth. So, Jepara's kerupuk bawang also has a unique seafood flavor that is definitely savory and appetizing. To keep this kerupuk bawang fresh as a souvenir, it's best to buy the raw kerupuk bawang. Usually, the price of raw Jepara kerupuk bawang is around Rp40,000 per kilo. That way, when you get home, you just need to fry it, and you can enjoy it with your family.

Kerupuk Tenggiri

Jepara is a district located on the northern coast of Java Island. This geographical condition makes Jepara very rich in seafood. In addition to the kerupuk bawang mentioned above, Jepara also processes its seafood into crackers. One of the seafood crackers you can taste is kerupuk tenggiri. It is made by mixing mackerel meat with tapioca flour and seasonings such as garlic, salt, and sugar. This cracker is very easy to find; you can visit traditional markets in the Pengkol area or souvenir shops there. You will definitely find this kerupuk tenggiri easily. This cracker can be a souvenir that is guaranteed to taste delicious, especially if you are a fan of seafood products.

Kacang Jepara

In addition to its seafood, Jepara also has a unique nut called kacang Jepara. What distinguishes kacang Jepara from other nuts is that kacang Jepara is fried using sand, friends. Before frying, the nuts are boiled first and seasoned with garlic and shallots, coriander, and black cumin to create a delicious aroma. This spice mixture produces a savory taste that is guaranteed to make you unable to stop eating these typical Jepara nuts. However, don't worry if you prefer sweet nuts; kacang Jepara is also available in a sweet flavor variant. Kacang Jepara is usually sold by the kilo, but you can also buy it in small packages. The price starts from Rp20,000 to Rp30,000. Quite affordable for your pocket, right?