From old copper moulds to a new generation of bahulu makers

When Hassan Faisal Sayujan looked at the old copper moulds his grandparents had used to make bahulu in the 1980s, he saw more than ageing kitchen equipment.

They were still usable, and with them came the possibility of reviving a family tradition that had gradually faded as his grandparents grew older.

About three years ago, Hassan Faisal, 37, left a stable job in the manufacturing sector in Kuala Lumpur and began making traditional kuih bahulu full-time.

He now runs the business with his father-in-law, Iskandar Nor Baharom, while his wife, Nurul Syamimi Iskandar Nor, is also involved.

“My grandparents started making bahulu traditionally in Kuala Pilah in 1982, using copper moulds and coconut husks to bake the cakes. However, they eventually had to stop due to their age,” he told Bernama.

“I am the third generation to carry on the business, together with my father-in-law. We initially did it to earn some extra money, selling bahulu online and at booths and carnivals around KL. We never expected our bahulu to be in such high demand.”

Elaborating, he said the venture actually began in 2018 as a weekend sideline. As orders grew, the family set up a dedicated workshop in Kuala Pilah in late 2023, followed by an outlet in Melaka in August 2024.

While a third outlet in Temerloh is due to open at the end of this month, Hassan Faisal said expansion has not changed the way the cakes are made.

Instead of a modern oven, the bahulu is baked using copper moulds heated over a gas stove, with coconut husks placed above them. A blower is used to keep the heat moving evenly through the baking process.

“Unlike modern ovens, where the temperature can be adjusted at the touch of a button, our method uses a gas stove, with coconut husks placed on top of the copper mould,” he said.

“We prefer the moulds because copper retains heat for longer. So, even when the heat from the burning coconut husks begins to die down, the mould remains hot.”

That method demands judgement: too much heat can burn the cakes, while too little can affect their texture. The bakers have to learn how to read the fire and the moulds as they work.

Preserving the method comes with another difficulty: finding people willing to learn it. The work is hot and smoky, and staff spend long periods standing close to the baking area.

Hassan Faisal said these conditions can make it harder to attract younger workers, even as interest in traditional food remains strong.

The business now employs 14 people, with production carried out in both Kuala Pilah and Melaka. The Melaka outlet alone can produce at least 100 containers of bahulu a day, in original and pandan flavours.

If the baking process is rooted in tradition, the way customers find the baulu is decidedly modern: online sales, particularly through TikTok, account for about 60-70% of the business.

Their team also livestreams daily from the Kuala Pilah workshop, giving viewers a look at how the traditional cakes are made.

That contrast has become part of the story: an old family recipe and decades-old equipment – reaching customers through smartphones and livestreams.

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