Gambier or gambier sap is an extraction of a plant called gambier. The extraction result is then formulated and allowed to harden. Some of them are cut to pieces in different shapes; others are rolled and shaped like balls.

Generally, Indonesians use gambier to “nginang”. It functions to make people’s breath more fragrant. People also use gambier as a spread on a toddler’s gum.

Riau Islands is one of the Gambier producers in Indonesia, although it is not the main center of a gambier producer like West Sumatra. Gambier of Riau Islands sustains Indonesia’s export to several countries, including Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, France, and Switzerland. The long history of the Riau Islands witnessed gambier as a commodity that created a bond with the other island.

The first gambier seeds ever planted in the Riau Islands came from Sumatra, in 1743, when Daeng Celak as the Yang Dipertuan Muda Riau II ruled. He sent Punggawa Tarung and Penghulu Jedun to get the gambier seeds from Perca island or Sumatra. They then planted the seeds on Bintan Island and Batam.

The successful planting of the gambier seeds led the gambier plantation to become the economic support of the Riau Islands in the past. Some literature explains that in the 17th century, gambier had attracted the Dutch traders. Many of them believed that it was a kind of soil, which they called tera japonica. It’s because before the gambier arrived in Europe, it was first brought to Japan.

The glorious era of gambier lasted in the 18th century and reached its peak in the 19th century. It’s clearly recorded in the Dutch archive script, in the forms of contract, newspaper, trip report, and in the Tuhfat al-Nafis by Raja Ali Haji. Further, the export activities from 1820 to 1830s became another evidence of the gambier’s role in the prosperity of the Riau Islands.

How to process gambier, from a plant to something that we can eat? And how’s the story of gambier in the spice trade of Riau Islands? Watch the full video below. Enjoy!