Beulangong Broth: Islamic Celebration Tradition from Aceh

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2 February 2022

Beulangong Broth is a dish from Aceh

According to local belief, the mutton and young jackfruit dish can only be cooked by men.

The name 'beulangong' came from the word 'belanga' or big pot.

Beulangong Broth is usually served in Islamic Celebrations.

Beulangong Broth is cooked around 2-4 hours.

Beulangong is ready to serve.

Beulangong Broth is Aceh’s typical curry-type dish with mutton and young jackfruit as the main ingredients. These ingredients are cooked inside a big pot with other ingredients, including pieces of kepok banana, dried chili, and roasted coconut. The dish is full of spices; there are turmeric, candlenut, cinnamon, cardamom, and others. 

According to local traditional belief, the Beulangong cooking process can only be done by men. Other than that, stirring Beulangong Broth is unique; going counterclockwise while reciting Salawat. It reflects the acculturation nuance from various cultures in Aceh. 

Beulangong Broth culinary has become one of the favorite choices to break the fast for the Aceh community. Beulangong Broth is also a mandatory food to serve in Islamic celebrations, including Mawlid al-Nabi, Islamic New Year, Eid al-Adha, and Eid al-Fitr.

Beulangong Broth has a history where the people of Aceh combined curry leaves from Indian traders with Nusantara spices. But, uniquely, Beulangong Broth used to involve cannabis seed in its spice list. The mashed cannabis seeds made the mutton more tender, and it acted as flavoring, even believed to function as a natural preservative. 

In 2008, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology designated Beulangong Broth as one of Indonesia’s Intangible Cultural Heritage. 

 

Image sources:

Muhammad IQbal/Instagram

aanpixx/Instagram

fadly_batubara/Instagram

Glory travel & tour/Good News From Indonesia

mrzki_a/Instagram

Riza Azhari/iStockphoto

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