Putu Vendor in Malang

A couple days ago around 8 p.m. in my house I was helping Pelangi doing her homework and Anugerah laid down on the bench. He always wants to have me lying beside him until he falls asleep. This time he knew that it would take a time when he saw me busy with Pelangi.

When Pelangi was writing the answers I went outside. There was calmness, no people, no voice but drizzling sound. Then I went inside but I heard from the distance a whistling sound.

“Putu!” said Pelangi.

That is a traditional Indonesian cake made of rice flour with brown sugar inside and covered with shredded young coconut. The way of making it is very simple. You put the flour in a bamboo with a hole inside, fill the brown sugar and flour again. You do not need an oven to bake it. You just need a hot vapor to cook it. After a while turn it on the other side. It just takes two minutes to bake each side. Due to the hot vapor the brown sugar melts.


Pelangi and I went out and called the vendor. Previous time most of Putu vendors walked and carried his “kitchen”. But this vendor brings his “kitchen” on a bike.

He stopped in front of our house and stepped out of his bike. I asked him the price. He said Rupiah 5,000 for 10 pieces. It is less than USD 50 cent. I ordered 20 pieces. He prepared to make it and sometimes looked at us.

“I think, I have seen you before but do not know where”, he said.
“Maybe in our previous home. We often bought Putu there but the vendor came around 4p.m.” He laughed. “Yes, now I remember”.

He was working further but then looked worried.
“Something wrong?” I asked.
He nodded. “I am running out of gas”.
He just could make 10 pieces while he still had a lot of material. After this he had to go home.

“What time did you go from home for this work?” I asked.
“I am leaving by 10 a.m. and go home once it is finished, mostly by 11 p.m.”
It touched my heart. More than 12 hours working and how much money does he get? How about his family, his wife and children? Is his wife waiting for him at the door every evening? Maybe her first question is, is it finished? So today she would be sad and disappointed because her husband got home earlier due to the lack of gas. Does he still have time with their children? Do they have time to talk about something else than working for money? I could give him water or sugar but gas? I wish I could!

This man (and a lot of people) has no choice. If they do not make 12 hours working a day or longer, there will be no food for tomorrow. It seems that they have to live to work for their whole life. Ironically there are also people who love to live to work. These people would still have food and money if they work less than 12hours a day or take a day off but they would not have life.

Anyway the cakes are good especially when it is still warm. The soft rice flour and shredded coconut mixed with soft sweet brown sugar. Uhmmm, yummy!

After finishing this story, I laid on my bed. Then I heard the whistling sound again, several times in front of our house. Now he had enough gas but we were so powerless to get up. Next time I am sure, we will buy 20 pieces.