Serabi, Serabi! Siapa Beli?
That was a nursery rhyme I once knew when I was a kid. It means ‘Serabi, Serabi! Who wants to buy?’ A line yelled by someone who was selling Serabi.
Anthony Bourdain of No Reservation loved Serabi so much when he was visiting Garut, West Java. The Serabi was delivered to him every morning by a man paddling a small wooden boat yelling, "Serabi, Serabi!" Bourdain refered to it as pancake, "I love the pancake man!" he proclaimed when the Serabi man was approaching.
I went to Jakarta Culinary Walks the other day–a cultural event held by JakartaWalks group–and I, too, loved the pancake lady there. Not to undervalue other Batavian culinary treasures taking part in that festival–Rujak Bebek, Fried Bean Sprout, Uduk Rice, Sengkulun, Talam Ebi, Bir Pletok, Ginger Coffee, Batavian Laksa, Batavian Noodle Soto, Kerak Telor–that were all oh-so-good, I had to say my heart set on Serabi. And Serabi was all that I can think of on the way home, even days after.
