Craft Lombok’s Traditional Candies

Craft Lombok’s Traditional Candies: A Sweet Heritage Full-Day Tour with Lombok Heritage

Discover the Sweet Side of Culture: A Day Making Traditional Lombok Candies in Tetebatu

In the lush, green heart of East Lombok lies a cultural secret waiting to be savored—traditional Lombok candy making, a centuries-old craft preserved in the quiet villages of Tetebatu. Welcome to the "Craft Lombok’s Traditional Candies" tour, a signature full-day experience by Lombok Heritage, your local guide to the island’s rich traditions.

This immersive culinary and cultural tour takes you beyond the beaches and straight into the soul of Lombok. You’ll meet real artisans, cook with local families, learn the secret recipes of sweet treats like gula-gula kelapa, permen jahe, and dodolan pisang, and even try your hand at wrapping and packaging these tasty symbols of heritage. It’s not just a tour—it’s a sweet journey into tradition.

Why Join This Tour?

• 🍬 Experience authentic candy making with local Tetebatu artisans

• 🧑‍🍳 Cook traditional sweets using time-honored tools and natural ingredients

• 🌴 Immerse yourself in village life, with rice field walks and local storytelling

• 📸 Capture unique moments of traditional cooking, laughter, and shared meals

• 🎁 Bring home your own handmade candy as a cultural souvenir

This full-day experience is perfect for foodies, families, and anyone looking for an authentic slice of Lombok's living heritage.

Full-Day Tour Itinerary: Crafting Sweetness in Tetebatu

Start Time: 08:30 AM
End Time: 17:00 PM
Duration: 8.5 Hours
Departure Point: Pick-up from your accommodation in Tetebatu Area (surcharge may apply for distant areas)

🕗 08:30 AM – Welcome to Tetebatu: Coffee, Smiles, and a Warm Village Greeting

Your journey begins with a traditional Sasak-style welcome drink—fresh Tetebatu coffee paired with a light homemade coconut biscuit. Meet your local guide and get introduced to the craft of candy making in Lombok, a knowledge passed down from generation to generation.

Learn about the historical significance of sweet snacks in Lombok culture—used not only for pleasure but for rituals, weddings, and religious offerings.

🥥 09:00 AM – Harvesting Natural Ingredients: Walk the Village Garden Trails

Accompanied by your guide and a local farmer, you’ll begin a short walking tour through Tetebatu’s agro-forest gardens. Here you’ll collect fresh ingredients used in traditional candy making:

• Kelapa (coconut) for grated flakes and coconut milk

• Jahe (ginger), used in spicy-sweet ginger candies

• Pisang (banana) for making dried sweet snacks

• Aren (palm sugar) directly tapped from local palm trees

This part of the tour emphasizes sustainability and natural farming, key elements in how these candies have been made for centuries.

🔥 10:30 AM – Candy Workshop Part 1: Making Gula-Gula Kelapa (Coconut Sweets)

Return to a traditional kitchen made from bamboo and clay, where your host family will lead a step-by-step candy-making session. First up: Gula-Gula Kelapa.

You’ll learn how to:

• Grate fresh coconut using a traditional wooden grinder

• Melt palm sugar in an iron wok over a wood fire

• Mix and mold the candy while it’s still hot

• Cool it on banana leaves and shape it into bite-size pieces

📸 Photo Tip: Get great shots of the steaming wok and your hands-on moment mixing the candy—Instagram-worthy and culturally rich!

🌿 12:00 PM – Traditional Lunch with a Local Family

After a fun morning of cooking, sit down for a traditional Sasak-style lunch. Menu highlights include:

• Ayam Bakar (grilled spicy chicken)

• Pelecing Kangkung (water spinach salad)

• Sambal Beberok (eggplant and tomato relish)

• Steamed rice and tempeh

• Sweet finish: your handmade coconut candy!

Enjoy lunch with your host family, learning how food connects generations and how candies are often served during major celebrations and spiritual ceremonies.

🍌 13:30 PM – Candy Workshop Part 2: Dodolan Pisang and Permen Jahe

The afternoon session dives into two other classic Lombok sweets:

🍌 Dodolan Pisang (Banana Candy)

Made by slow-cooking mashed banana with brown sugar and cinnamon, this candy is then sun-dried and wrapped in corn husk or banana leaf. You’ll help:

• Mash ripe bananas the traditional way

• Cook the mixture over low heat

• Shape and sun-dry it on woven bamboo trays

🌶️ Permen Jahe (Ginger Candy)

Spicy, chewy, and therapeutic, these candies are made using ginger, sugar, and a squeeze of lime.

You’ll learn:

• How to pound ginger on a stone slab

• The secret to balancing spicy and sweet flavors

• How to wrap the finished product using rice paper or natural leaves

🎨 15:00 PM – Artistic Wrapping and Packaging: Eco-Friendly & Cultural

With your candies ready, it’s time to learn how local artisans wrap them using eco-friendly materials like banana leaves, dried palm sheaths, and handmade paper.

Each wrapping style is a form of expression—from wedding-style bundles to market-ready packaging. You’ll design your own sweet souvenir bundle to take home.

🧘 16:00 PM – Tea Break and Cultural Reflection

As your day winds down, enjoy local herbal tea (teh serai or ginger tea) served with a piece of your handmade candy. Reflect on what you've learned with your guide and hosts:

• The role of traditional sweets in Lombok’s life cycle rituals

• The importance of preserving culinary traditions

• How you can support sustainable cultural tourism

🚗 17:00 PM – Farewell and Drop-Off

With your candy gift pack in hand, you’ll be dropped off at your accommodation with a heart full of culture and hands that smell sweetly of palm sugar and coconut.

What’s Included

✔️ Local English-speaking guide
✔️ Traditional candy-making workshop (3 types)
✔️ Harvest walk for ingredients
✔️ All materials and tools
✔️ Home-cooked lunch and herbal drinks
✔️ Cultural storytelling and photo ops
✔️ Candy packaging experience
✔️ Souvenir candy bundle to take home
✔️ Transportation from/to Tetebatu or optional hotel pickup

What to Bring

• Comfortable shoes for walking in the village

• A hat and sunscreen

• Camera or smartphone

• Appetite for sweets and stories!

• An open heart and respect for local culture

Pricing & Booking

Rate: Starting from IDR 600,000 / person (approx. $40 USD)
Group Discount: Available for 4+ people
Private Tour: Available on request
Booking:

👉 Reserve Your Spot: tetebatutour.com

📞 WhatsApp: Mr. Ibrahim

📞 WhatsApp: Mr. Ukenk

Limited availability—this experience is hosted only twice a week due to its artisanal nature.

More Than Just Candy

Joining the Craft Lombok’s Traditional Candies tour isn’t just about sweets—it’s about connection. With every stir of palm sugar and every wrap of banana leaf, you touch a piece of living culture.

With Lombok Heritage at tetebatutour.com, you’re not just visiting a place—you’re helping preserve its story.

So, are you ready to wrap up some sweet memories in Tetebatu?