How an old dodol tradition keeps neighbours close

For Tan Siew Tong, making dodol has never been a solitary job.

The 75-year-old learnt the tradition as a teenager in Kampung Kelubi, where the shed at her family home often became a gathering place for Malay neighbours preparing the sweet treat ahead of Hari Raya Aidilfitri and Aidiladha.

Decades later, the setting has changed, but the sense of togetherness has not. Tan now helps make dodol with friends at the Taman Bemban Utama neighbourhood-watch post, where residents from different backgrounds take turns stirring the thick mixture until it is ready.

The process can take up to eight hours, requiring patience and plenty of arm strength.

“I enjoy participating in the dodol-stirring activity because, when I lived in Kampung Kelubi during my teenage years, the shed at my home often served as a gathering place for the Malay community to work together,” Tan told Bernama.

Those early experiences left her completely at ease joining communal activities with neighbours of different races, whether through gotong-royong, shared meals or festive preparations.

She said Indian residents also join the dodol-making sessions, adding another layer to what has become a familiar community activity.

Tan has been involved with the neighbourhood women’s group since 2009 and also helps pack the finished dodol for customers. It is sold at RM10 for a large container and RM3 for a small one.

Chairman of the Taman Bemban Utama neighbourhood committee Ahmad Zaki Arshad, 60, said residents began making dodol and lemang on a small scale about five years ago.

The operation has since grown, with orders coming in particularly during Hari Raya and for weddings. Around 10kg of wheat flour and 40 coconuts are used to produce more than 50 containers of dodol.

Ahmad Zaki said the proceeds help support other neighbourhood activities, while the group continues to explore ways of expanding the small community venture.

For Tan, the appeal remains rooted in something much older than the business side of things: the pleasure of making food together, with neighbours of all backgrounds – just as she did when she was young.

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