Bandar To Gel is a product of Indonesia, its name is derived from “tongue band” which means “tongue root”. The tree bearing the product is grown primarily in the mountains of West Java, and the fruit it produces is used as an ingredient in cookery and also taken as tea. It is a fruit that has a firm, black-purplish colour, somewhat like a large tropical blackberries. It is the official fruit of the Indonesian Archipelago.
A similar product known as ribu band togel, or half a Pound of flesh and half a Pound of seeds, is produced by the Anda Bisa tribe in Sarawak. This fruit is of considerable size, almost twice the size of a standard plum, and the seeds are about the same size. The name ‘bandar togel’ is given to this fruit by the Anda Bisa people. The whole fruit is eaten, but not eaten raw.
In the Sarawak Market, you will find a large variety of products which have the name ‘bandar togel’, such as ‘hondatoto’, ‘dan hondatoto’, and other ingredients, as well as dried fruits, salsas, and condiments to use with your meal preparation. In this article, we will briefly look at the ‘band to gel’ as a condiment, as well as its origin and uses in Sarawak. The dried fruit ‘band to gel’ is also sometimes known as ‘hondatoto’, but this is confusing as the two names are normally used interchangeably. The dried fruit is sold in various locations throughout Sarawak, both in town and along the many interconnecting roads and alleys.
It has been long believed that the fruit of the Anda Bisa tree, sometimes called ‘Hondatoto Biza’, has healing properties, and was considered a cure for many ailments practised amongst the Lumadans in the traditional courts of old. The name originated from the word ‘tokai’, which means ‘inflamed, heated, or charmed’. The hondatoto bisa is believed to bring joy and happiness, as well as a higher sense of spiritual awareness. This medicinal property has been documented over a period of more than two hundred years in many tribal societies from the Andaman Islands to Borneo.
The dried fruit is available in some markets throughout Sarawak, however it is hard to locate, and even harder to find in its purest form. This is probably due to the large amount of hybrid varieties available in the market. One of the rarest and most sought after types of bandar togel is the ‘ramen hondatno’, or dried ribu, that can only be found in Borneo. In addition to this dried rums are also available in many other locales throughout Malaysia including Penang, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Hong Kong.
The dried hondatoto (or drums) of the Andaman Islands are normally prepared by smoking and drying in coconut oil. They are often served with traditional Andaman dishes such as coffee and other soup-based foods. In addition to being used as a flavoring for cooking and soup, they are also eaten raw, in salads, soups and puddings. They are a staple of the local diet, which is primarily made up of soft, sweet puddings flavored with cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, and other aromatic herbs and spices.
When the local people want to prepare the unique hondatoto, they usually cut it into small pieces using a shear and scoop it into their basins or baskets. These bags or basins are then set inside a clay pot, which is sealed and brought outside for air-drying. The baking of the Bandar Togepel is usually done in the evening, as the sun begins to go down. This makes the hondatoto more like an edible desert, as opposed to the sumptuous breakfast that it is for the people of Borneo. Other traditional dessert dishes made from the rums of the Andaman Islands include the galangal and other succulent fruits, but pore, and the kuih, which is an underground tuber filled with a sweet, spicy, boiled egg.
If one wants to learn more about this dessert, they can visit the Anda Mempunyai website to view the available flavors. If you are looking to purchase a bottle of this drink, there are many retailers and wholesalers in Borneo, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand that sell Borneo Rums, including Tintale Foods and Big Buddha. A bonus new member of the Anda family, I was able to review four types of Bandar Togepel: Rummy Bandar (which are not a fermented one), Rummy Amin (which are a sweetened condensed milk), Kerdi Rummy (which have coconut flavor), and the Tintale Rummy. These products can be purchased at stores in Singapore, Thailand, and Hong Kong, and at large groceries throughout Asia. The prices vary depending on the brand and year of year that they were manufactured. To order a bottle online, all you have to do is pay using your credit card.