BETAWI CULTURAL VILLAGE

THE MODERN NATIVE JAKARTAN

Simply take a look around you and there are glimpses of typical metropolitan culture we’ve come to live with every day-malls, restaurants, cafes, traffic jams. But this time, being a true insider’s gide, were taking you to the city edge, to where the “real”, authentic Jakarta culture is still found in the lives of the Betawi people. Being direct descendants of the native people who have lived in the city since the Batavia days, these native Jakartans are proud cultural ambassadors with a very long interesting history, which can be traced back to the century. And there’s no better time to take a look at their unique, fascinating lives tan now !

The Betawi people are often said to be the “real owners” of Jakarta. Therefore, you would imagine you could find them in every single residential area in the capital among the regular folks we encounter every day. However, the opposite is true. Betawi people in Jakarta are now a minority with most of them residing on the outskirts of the city. There are many classic stories about how these former wealthy landowners have been pushed out of they city centre due to the rapid growth of Jakarta. Betawi People sold their precious land to new settlers who are now mainly living in Jakarta’s suburbs. Thus, the Betawi culture slowly fades as its people move futher away for the urban areas.

Setu Babakan Betawi Cultural Village Center (Pusat Perkampungan Budaya Betawi Setu Babakan) situated in Srengseng Sawah, Jagakarsa, South Jakarta, you can easily find Betawi People living according  to their strong traditions. Built on 32 hectares of land around Lake Babakan (Setu Babakan), this Betawi village has been officially appointed as a Betawi cultural preservation site by the Jakarta Government and has become a favourite recreation destination among local.

Although open daily for visitors, the Setu Babakan village is much more alive during weekends. This is when visitors can enjoy various Betawi cultural performances, which are presented by the  Betawi people themselves who live in the area. Performed for visitors every Saturday and Sunday at the Sanggar –a modest stageyo showchase most of the cultural shows, are two Betawi dances, the Mask dance (Tari Topeng) and Cokek dance, which are accompanied by a Betawi traditional orchestra, Gambang Kromong. A Betawi traditional martial art, Beksi, is also performed on Sundays at the Sanggar.

Here, you can also buy traditional Betawi snacks and drink, made in the homes of teh Betawi people in the area. There are Kerak Telor, Dodol Betawi, a chewy cake made from sticky rice, coconut milk ad sugar. Kembang Goyang cookies and Roti Buaya, crocodile shaped bread with tasty chocolate filling. And as for an authentic tasting Betawi traditional drink there’s Bir Pletok. This Betawi Version of beer only cost you Rp 13,000 per bottle. Madefrom ginger, sugar, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and secang wood, Bir Pletok is a non-alcohol drink with a delicious excotic flavour and commonly perceived as a health tonic among the Betawi People. There’s an interesting story about the origin of Bir Pletok . During the Dutch colonial days in Batavia, the Betawi people noticed that the Dutch loved to perty and alcoholic drinks were always included. Thus inspired, the Betawi people then created their own beer, which also later served as a party drink. Bir Pletok is non-alcoholic, as the religious Betawi people don’t drink alcohol. Back in those days, Bor Pletok was made using a hollow piece of bamboo, thus this process produced the repetitive “pletok,pletok..” sound. And that is how Bir Pletok got its name.