Serabi or Surabi or Srabi is one of most popular Javanese? cake. The taste is sweet. Serabi is made from rice powder, santan (milk squeezed from coconut), sugar, salt, and pandanus leaf as an aroma.

One of serabi producer is Handayani. Her serabi is known as Serabi Notokusuman. Her serabi is sweet entire part of cake, but crispy in the top.

The tastes of serabi notokusuman have not changed since it first made. One piece of serabi have a price amounted Rp. 1,000 or about USD 0, 15. The fixed taste and cheap of price, made this serabi do not leave by customer, in fact the customer are increasing day by day. Not only from Solo city who brought serabi, but also people from other city.To get serabi, customers have to come to the serabi homemade, which open at 4 pm till 6 p.m. To fulfill what customer needed, her food stall also opened in Jongke Market. Beside Solo, serabi notokusuman can find in Yogyakarta, Klaten, Salatiga, Bekasi, Serpong, and Semarang. That entire food stall manages by Handayani’s sister.

Family Business only
For family whose manage, there is no recipe which hiding. If somebody offers a franchising, it could not be done. Her big families have a commitment that serabi business is only for the family.

Serabi business still stay alive after 82 years from started. This business started by Hoo Geng Kok, grandmother of Handayani. Her grandmother start sell apem (another Javanese? cake). One day Hoo Geng Kok ordered by her customer to put in santan (milk squeezed from coconut) in the middle of apem. While cooking, Hoo Geng Kok adds more santan in the border of cake, so serabi had created.

At the beginning, people call Hoo Geng Kok’s serabi as Serabi Inggris. From day to day, because her foods stall is located in Notokusuman village, Hoo Geng Kok’s serabi known as Serabi Notokusuman. Nowadays, her business is role by forth generation.

At 1961, serabi business was role by her second daughter. At this moment serabi made in variation, example; put it chocolate taste and egg. Chocolate serabi put in chocolate sprinkle on its top, egg serabi made from santan which mix with egg.

Source: KOMPAS, written by Sri Rejeki, edited and translated by reog.