Wingko

Wingko, which is sometimes called Wingko Babat, Wiwingka ore Bibika (rev. De voeding in Nederlands-Indië 1904), is a traditional Javanese pancake-like snack made from coconut.

It is a kind of cake made mainly of coconut and other ingredients. Wingko is popular especially along the north coast of Java island. It is sold mostly by peddlers on trains, at bus or train stations, or in the producer’s own shop. This might explain why it's very popular in Java to use wingko as a gift to families upon returning from traveling.

Wingko is typically a round, almost hard coconut cake that is typically served in warm, small pieces. Wingko is sold either in the form of a large, plate-sized cake or small, paper wrapped cakes. It's delicious due to the combined sweetness of sugar and the unique, fresh taste of crispy coconut. The price varies, depending on where it's sold. The more famous the brand of cake, the more expensive the cake. Your bargaining skills might lower the price a little.

The most famous wingko is made in Babat. As its full name, wingko babat, suggests, wingko actually originated in Babat, a small regency in Lamongan, a municipality in East Java. Babat is near the border with Bojonegoro, another municipality in East Java which is now famous for its teak wood and recently discovered oil field.

In Babat, which is only a small town, wingko plays a big role in its economy. There are many wingko factories in that city which employ a large number of workers. The factories take in a large number of coconut fruit from the neighbouring municipalities.

Today wingko is a famous food in both Babat with various brands and sizes of wingko for sale. Most wingko factories are still owned by Indonesian Chinese and some still use Chinese language names for their brands.