CULINARY — Usually, a cow is used to pull a cart or plow the fields. But in Bantul, Yogyakarta, a number of residents use cows as the main machine for making noodles, which are called “Mie Lethek” or Dull Noodles because the color is not as clean as noodles in general.
The process of making Mie Lethek which involves cow power is indeed quite rare in the modern era. Imagine, noodle dough weighing up to tons is ground and stirred using a large cylinder driven by a cow. The sound of the cow’s moaning combined with the distinctive aroma of flour creates a very thick rural atmosphere.
The use of cow power has become a hereditary tradition. Mie lethek makers believe that cow power produces more even and quality dough results. This is because cows have strong and durable power, so they are very suitable for heavy work such as stirring noodle dough.
In addition, the use of cow power is considered more environmentally friendly than modern machines that require fossil fuels.
Mie Lethek has been around since the Dutch colonial era, and its recipe has been passed down from generation to generation. These noodles were originally made by local people as an alternative staple food to rice. Since long ago, the process of making Mie Lethek has been done traditionally, even to this day. One of the famous places that still produces these noodles in the traditional way is in Bendo Village, Trimurti District, Bantul Regency.
In recent years, Mie Lethek has begun to receive more attention from the wider community, especially from traditional culinary lovers and tourists who come to Yogyakarta.
Various restaurants and stalls in Yogyakarta and its surroundings have begun selling Mie Lethek, both in ready-to-eat form and in dry packaging that can be taken home as souvenirs.
However, despite its increasing popularity, challenges in maintaining the traditional way of making it still exist. Making Mie Lethek takes a long time and requires extra energy, especially using cows, making its mass production more difficult.
Therefore, efforts to preserve Mie Lethek as a culinary cultural heritage continue to be carried out, both by local producers and the local government. (*/)
