MARANG – Kampung Batangan in Marang, some 25km from Kuala Terengganu, is famous for its 'dodol daun palas'.
For generations, the production of this sweet, sticky concoction stuffed in fan palm leaves has become a profitable business for the villagers here.
Rojini Razak, 46, who has been in the heritage delicacy business said the rich creamy flavour of the dodol mixed with the aroma of the smoked palm leaves is very much sought after during Ramadan and Hari Raya Aidilfitri.
"In the past, there were about 15 of us actively involved in the production of this delicacy in the village.
"But currently only six remain in the business, as the knowledge and skill in making this traditional food were not passed down to the next generation," she said when met by Bernama at her home in Kampung Batangan, here recently.
Rojini, who inherited the 'dodol daun palas' business from her late mother, Esah Mamat in 2014, said to maintain the quality and taste of the dodol, the cooking and stirring process would usually last up to eight hours.
Besides, she said dodol cooked over a charcoal stove was so much tastier and did not burn easily compared with modern stovetops.
"Earlier some traders chose to use dodol processing machines, but soon after that they had to resell the appliances because customers could tell the difference and rejected the machine-produced dodol," said Rojini, who is the fourth generation in the family enterprise.
She also said the palm leaves used to wrap the dodol must be wiped clean and dry to avoid mould growth.
Rojini, who runs the business with her husband, Mazlan Abdullah, 52, only cooks one large pot of dodol twice a week as it also takes some time to gather the palm leaves, smoke-dry them and wrap the dodol.
"Each big pot produces 4,000 pieces of dodol daun palas which are sold at 18 sen each," the mother of six said, adding that she could earn about RM2,400 a month.
Most of the products are sold to traders, not only from the markets around Terengganu but also in other states such as Pahang and Kedah
So far, Rojini said she has received orders for 20,000 pieces from customers in conjunction with the upcoming Hari Raya Aidilfitri.
"We make this dodol all year round, but during the festive season we have to produce nine or 10 pots, instead of eight pots a month, to cope with the demand.
Rojini added that her eldest daughter Nurul Fazlin Syahira, 26, is now learning the tricks of the trade to ensure the art of making the traditional dessert is passed down to future generations. – Bernama, April 11, 2022
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