From Tiao Wan (跳丸) to Bakwan (肉丸) and Bakso (肉酥): The Culinary History of Chaoshan Peranakan Cuisine in Java

Abstract

The evolution of bakso, especially the variant known as bakwan in Malang, illustrates the complex entanglements of Chinese culinary traditions and Javanese food culture. Historical records, early Chinese agricultural treatises, colonial accounts, and contemporary media provide a foundation for tracing meatball-making techniques and migration routes of Hakka and Teochew communities who helped shape Java’s culinary landscape. Autoethnographic reflections enrich this historical reconstruction by capturing sensory memories, family traditions, and field observations from the 1980s onward. Changes in form, flavor, preparation, and commercialization highlight ongoing negotiations between halal practice, Peranakan heritage, and local taste. The argument frames bakso/bakwan as a cultural node where diaspora history, personal memory, and transregional culinary networks converge.

Abstrak

Evolusi bakso, khususnya bakwan Malang, menunjukkan keterjalinan tradisi kuliner Tionghoa dan budaya pangan Jawa. Catatan sejarah, karya agrikultural Tiongkok awal, arsip kolonial, dan media kontemporer menelusuri teknik pembuatan bakso dan rute migrasi komunitas Hakka serta Teochew yang membentuk lanskap kuliner Jawa. Refleksi autoetnografis memperkaya rekonstruksi ini melalui memori sensorik, tradisi keluarga, dan observasi lapangan sejak 1980-an. Perubahan bentuk, rasa, cara penyajian, dan komersialisasi menegaskan negosiasi berkelanjutan antara praktik halal, warisan Peranakan, dan selera lokal. Bakso/bakwan diposisikan sebagai simpul budaya di mana sejarah diaspora, memori personal, dan jaringan kuliner lintas kawasan saling berkelindan.