“Sobo” to Wonosobo

Our visit to Wonosobo invited by Department of Tourism and Culture of Wonosobo Regency to be one of the speakers in Training # 1 Culinary Reserves. As the actual organizing committee are the managers of the Kumandang Market who are commanded by Mas Sigit Martono. Sobo to Wonosobo or Travel to Wonosobo is conducted for 4 days, 3 – 6 November 2019.

Gemblung Market Magelang

The “Pilkades Damai” declaration welcomed us when we entered the Gemblung Market, a traditional culinary market located on the border of Yogyakarta – Central Java. The more traditional impression because every culinary stall is made of bamboo, between the bamboo tree and gamelina. Every piece of equipment use environmentally friendly “past” equipment. The currency used is the geblo, made of coconut shells. One geblo is worth Rp 1,000, – There is also a geblo made of stainless, which is worth Rp 5,000.

Pasar Gemblung – excited and not dazed is the market sister of the Kumandang Market in Wonosobo. Both were initiated by the same person, namely Mas Sigit Martono. The market was built and developed independently, on the crooked land of Mr. Hamlet. Each stall is built by the traders themselves, after getting the location by drawing. The design, decoration and menu are based on the merchant’s creativity. When selling must wear Javanese clothes, and most use striated.

Gemblung is short for ripah bebarengan due to lung-tinulung, prosperous together because of mutual help. Only open on Sundays, after running for about six months, the key to the bustle of the Gemblung Market lies in the large number of shanties, promotions through social media, and there are always folk art performances every week. It’s a pleasure taking a picture with Mr. Founder, Village Chief, Mr. Hamlet, and Mr. Managers. Also, take a selfie with Mr. Magelang Regent. Bun-cissssss…

Cagar Kuliner di Pasar Kumandang

Welcome to the Kumandang Market, Wonosobo (unfortunately when it arrives in Wonosobo, the Kumandang Market is closed – and the market is only open on Sundays from eight in the morning until two in the afternoon). Without trading activities, the market seems very “Javanese” … simple, cool, friendly, integrated with nature and life. We came to take part in Training # 1 Culinary Reserves. One of the local culinary presented by the committee is sego megono and tempe kemul.

According to Mas Agus Supriyadi, Wonosobo is surrounded by mountains and hills, namely Gunung Sindoro, Sumbing, Dieng, and Indrakila, also Bukit Perahu, Sikunir, and Bisma. There are three major rivers that flow through Wonosobo, namely the Serayu River, Bogowonto, and Galuh River which are a source of water for 15 other districts in Central Java. Wonosobo also has thousands of springs, one of which is Mangli spring which is used as a source of Aqua water. Wonosobo Regency is inhabited by around 800,000 people, and 60% of them work as farmers belonging to poor farmers and farm laborers. There are 111 villages in contact with the forest, and wono – wana itself means forest.

The challenge faced by Wonosobo in general is the exploitation of mountain areas for tourism and retaining grass that has been replaced with paved roads, so that landslides often occur. Dieng and Gunung Perahu region, Sikunir is visited by an average of 10,000 people per day. In addition, a lot of rubbish was also found, including a sack of used sandals on Mount Kembang, plus soil contaminated with wastewater, and the river water area was damaged. The hills / Mount Sindoro are filled with Galian C illegal mining activities which eliminate 2000 springs.

Culinary Reserve is a concept with three main values, namely conservation, revitalization, and creativity, in terms of maintaining yard and food supply land. These three values ​​are related to knowledge systems, kitchen design, agricultural land, nutritional adequacy, seasoning and taste. This concept is expected to be able to respond to the ideals of the global community, namely protecting the planet, people, prosperity, peace, partnership. But the main thing is to meet the local food needs of the resources they have, they are also prepared to face disasters. Thus an additional explanation from Mas Benito Lopulalan.

The Wisnu Foundation, represented by Lisa Ismiandewi, had the opportunity to join as one of the presenters at the Culinary Reserve Training at Kumandang Market. One of the local culinary developed in Bali is intended as part of ecotourism activities. Examples of ecotourism and culinary displayed are Panca Desa Bali Aga which has a wealth of local food.

One interesting thing in the training is the practice of cooking local cuisine. The materials have been provided by the committee, and participants process them according to the agreement between group members. The food produced includes appetizers to dessert, arranged in an attractive and inviting appetite. Another interesting thing from this event is, the closing of the training is done like graduation. The difference, toga is replaced with caping. Throw caping up … !!!

One interesting thing near Kumandang Market is the existence of the Bongkotan Site. Stone in the form of a phallus looks very clear, but I’m not sure if the stone next to it is yoni. It seems not … because this is the explanation on the Bongkotan Site, Wonosobo, “Yoni is standing on the ground with a drain facing towards the northeast. This spout is supported by an ornament with a dragon whose head has disappeared. Dragons are depicted in a standing posture with skin (scales) on their bodies … Archaeological remains in the sites found next are pillars. This pillar is shaped like a phallus, ie the top is somewhat rounded, while the bottom is like a rectangular shape, but has no angle. This pillar stands embedded in the ground about 13 meters in the western area of ​​Yoni. ”Unfortunately, at that time the gate was locked, so we could not enter the site area. Another interesting thing is, there are flowers and fresh leaves like canang. This means that this site is still maintained with confidence.

Wadas Lintang: Lancar, Kampung Mendo – Kumejing, dan Somogede

Wadas Lintang has a high wealth of natural resources, especially those related to local food. Arriving at Lancar Village around one night, we stayed at Mbak Eni’s house. Actually it is not too far from Wonosobo City, but the road to Lancar Village is not smooth. There are many parts of asphalt road that are damaged and potholes. But everything paid off when you wake up in the morning. Flour made from cassava starch, utri from cempak rice, bakwan, gadung chips, ginger. Flour most delicious wrapped in teak leaves to get the distinctive aroma of teak leaves. While for breakfast there are leye or tiwul rice, soybean tempe and gembe tempe, omelette, and pecel. The pecel served consists of various leaves, i.e. hates or watercress, lobers, cabbage, cucumber, and round eggplant.

When the morning chat, interesting things that can still be found is the barter system market. As a “currency” that is widely used is coconut. Three coconuts can be exchanged for one kilogram of rice, also can be exchanged for oil and sugar. Even coconut can be used to pay for services, for example as a gardener’s fee. Apart from coconuts, cardamom which is also widely exchanged is more expensive than coconut. Only one kilogram of cardamom is needed to get three kilograms of rice.

Mr. Margono is an intermediary for farmers to meet their needs. At each Wage, Mr. Margono works as a trader as well as a buyer. Go to the Wage Market with around 700 coconuts and 100 kg of cardamom (in harvest season it can carry up to one tonne of cardamom). The price of coconuts currently reaches Rp 4,000, but in the main harvest season it is only Rp 500.

After the morning chat, the trip continued to Kampung Mendo – the goat village in Kumejing Village. Almost all families raise goats, as did Mas Mendo. Currently, goats are fed fermented fodder, so they save more time and energy. Mas Mendo also tried to raise wonosobo sheep which would later be harvested. The profession as a goat breeder has been carried out by residents of Kampung Mendo for a long time, even when village settlements were still at the “bottom”, at a location that is now used as a Wadaslintang reservoir. There is a pattern of consumption that changes when citizens have to move in the 1980s. No more wild plants around the rice fields (at that time) that can be used as a food source for now.

From Kumejing we returned to Lancar Village, stopping by at the green house of Mas Fajar. There are many coconut trees growing around it, on terraced fields … reminds us of Bali. Moreover, when passing through the rice fields / plantations in Somogede Village, just like the villages in Bali with rice terraces, even though it was not yet time to plant rice. Perhaps it was indeed from Wonosobo that the origins of puwakan, swakan, subak were brought by Rsi Markandya.

Basically Wonosobo is very thick with the relics of Shiva Buddha’s past, the glorious period of Sanjaya-Syailendra. When I arrived at Kalianget, Somogede had an artifact that caught my attention, unfortunately just lying in the corner of the bathroom building. According to Pak Bagyo’s information, the artifact is part of another table-shaped artifact located on a hill. According to him, there are already plans to return the artifact to its original place. Hopefully …

Because I imagine the Kalianget area might have been a small kingdom. The source of water that flowed into the bathroom used to be like a bath with natural stones. Unfortunately, when it has been cemented, water pipes are also running around, seemingly not maintained. Maybe because we arrived at night. In fact, warm water tends to heat very clear.

And, thanks to Dyla for giving surprise cards. The work that will always remind me of Wonosobo. For the record, I have been to Wonosobo twice before. First around 1994-1995 when KKL III. Field Work Lecture in Kertek Village. Unfortunately I forgot what the theme was. Then around 2003, visiting JKPN friends. The thing that I remember the most was, there were a lot of food vendors in Wonosobo City Square.

written by: Atiek Kurnianingsih