PAK TEH DODOL TO EMBRACE UNIQUE FLAVOURS, EXPLORE INTERNATIONAL MARKET

By Siti Azila Alias

NIBONG TEBAL, June 30 (Bernama) -- Dodol with original flavour, durian and pandan might be familiar to us, but what about pineapple, cappuccino, chocolate, strawberry, and blueberry?

It might sound strange to some but that is the uniqueness of ‘Pak Teh Dodol’, famous for its eight flavours.

Located in Kampung Sungai Baong, Sungai Jawi, in the Sungai Bakap constituency, Pak Teh Dodol, managed by Ahmad Lutfi Yusof, 52, along with his wife, Rahmat Bee Ismail, 52, for the past 10 years, has now been taken over by their eldest son Muhammad Luqman Haqim, 21, who is fully responsible for production, including cooking dodol.

When met by Bernama at his dodol workshop, Muhammad Luqman Haqim said that when they first started the business, they only sold three flavours of dodol: original, durian, and pandan. They later diversified with the addition of five more flavours: pineapple, cappuccino, chocolate, strawberry, and blueberry.

A graduate in culinary arts from the Nibong Tebal Community College, he said the idea to transform the original dodol into multiple flavours came from his mother, who wanted to try something new. Moreover, these flavours have their own fans.

“For instance, children like chocolate and strawberry dodol, while adults prefer cappuccino. The most popular are the original and durian dodol because it is currently durian season, and pandan flavour is also very popular; we cook that every day.

“For the other five flavours, we only cook them if there are orders for events such as weddings,” said Muhammad Luqman Haqim, who takes between one to two months for research and development (R&D) to perfect the taste of each flavour.

Sharing his involvement in the business, Muhammad Luqman Haqim said he started learning about the intricacies of preparing traditional food from his father when he was 16 years old and gradually became skilled before being trusted to take over after graduating this year.

According to him, the dodol recipe originated from his late grandfather Yusof Ali, who initially cooked it for personal consumption before suggesting to his father to sell the dodol under the name ‘Pak Teh Dodol’.

“Pak Teh is the nickname for my father, and now the recipe has been passed down to me with some improvements to enhance the taste. This dodol business started with only two cauldrons and has grown; we now have eight cauldrons,” said Muhammad Luqman Hakin while adding that his late grandfather did not live to see the business, which started in September 2014, as he passed away in 2012.

In terms of preparation, although many dodol makers have now switched to modern methods using machines, Muhammad Luqman Haqim still prefers the traditional way, typically stirring the dodol by himself in the workshop, with a maximum of eight cauldrons, five days a week, and only hiring workers if there are too many orders.

"One cauldron holds about seven kg. The most important thing is how we control the fire, as well as the timing, which is a crucial element to ensure the dodol achieves the perfect texture. The measurements also need to be precise, if not, it will affect the final product," he said, adding that it takes four hours to cook the dodol.

Asked about his future plans, the eldest of two siblings said he is working on obtaining halal certification and other related documents to allow the product to expand.

He said that currently, the market for Pak Teh Dodol is only in a few northern states and Perak, with the product mostly placed in grocery stores.

"For now, our focus is to strengthen the domestic market first, and after that, if there is an opportunity to expand overseas, we will definitely do it because our future goal is to bring the name of Pak Teh Dodol to the international stage," he said.

Sungai Bakap has been in the spotlight in recent weeks as it gears up for a by-election on July 6, following the death of incumbent State Assemblyman, Nor Zamri Latiff, on May 24 due to stomach inflammation.

The Sungai Bakap by-election will see a direct contest between Pakatan Harapan candidate Dr Joohari Ariffin and Abidin Ismail representing Perikatan Nasional.

-- BERNAMA