Ahead of Chinese New Year 2023, orders for basket cakes or Chinese dodol at Mrs. Lauw's factory on Jalan Lio Baru, Neglasari Subdistrict, Tangerang City are flooded with orders.

The factory, which has been producing basket cakes since 1962, is a family business. The owner is Mrs. Lauw Nyim Keng aka Mrs. Siti. Currently, the factory is managed by Mrs. Lauw's third descendant.

One of the managers, Iin, said that before the Chinese New Year celebration, the demand for basket cakes always increases. On a normal day, they only produce 1 ton, but when it's time for Chinese New Year, the production reaches three tons.

"Many people order, because in Chinese belief, basket cakes served during Chinese New Year celebrations are a form of respect for the gods and ancestors. By making offerings to the ancestors, it can bring blessings to the family," he said.

Basket cakes sell for Rp40,000 per kilogram. The cakes are usually sold to Jakarta and Tangerang.

According to Iin, the main raw material for making basket cakes is not much different from making basket cakes in general, which uses glutinous rice, white sugar and fragrant pandan leaves. The factory still uses traditional tools to produce it.

"It's quite easy to make, but the production process with traditional tools takes a very long time, about 12 to 16 hours," he said.


Video by: Rahmat Dian Prasanto / Opn Images Indonesia