Indonesian Dessert: Es Tape Ketan Hitam

This recipe has no added sugars and relies on tapai or tape for all its sweetness. Tape ketan is a traditional dessert of black sticky rice that has been fermented with a special blend of starter yeast and then left to incubate for a few days. The result creates a sweet, almost alcoholic taste and tones of flavour that is unique and unparalleled to any other foods I have eaten.

I've seen variations of tape in a lot of Indonesian desserts and I thought that I could make something out of this fermented black rice. Pancakes and popsicles first crossed my mind, but then I realized that I could make a simpler, deconstructed traditional Indonesian popsicles, es potong, like the ones I used to have as a child. I loved the ones with red beans, jackfruit and black sticky rice!

Iced desserts such as that are made with a lot of sugar (like any other forms of dessert), so I figured since the tape is sweet and so rich in flavour already, I need not add extra sugar, and I can even add The King of Bitters extract without it ruining the flavor. The bitterness is perfectly masked in, you wouldn't even know it's there!

This recipe is made easy and is meant for people who doesn't have a lot of kitchen tools at home or a lot of time to make a healthy dessert. Not everyone has a popsicle mould or a high powered blender at home and this would be a perfect substitute for popsicles or homemade ice creams.

I subbed the traditional coconut milk for almond milk to see if it still tastes as delicious as the ones sold in carts - and it was!

Es Tape Ketan Hitam

Serves one

Ingredients

175 grams tape ketan hitam (fermented black sticky rice)

50 ml unsweetened almond milk

3/4 tsp Herbilogy's king of bitters extract

To serve:

50 ml unsweetened almond milk

3 tbsp shredded coconut

Directions

1. Combine almond milk, tape ketan hitam and a teaspoon of king of bitters extract.

2. Stir and mash the black sticky rice a little bit so that the flavours will seep through the almond milk.

3. Transfer the mixture to a plastic bag or any freezer safe container.

4. The day after, take it out off the container and smash a little bit with a fork to create coarse, ice texture. If using plastic bag, simply smash it with a dough roller or other similar tools.

5. Scoop into a glass, top with dessicated coconut and more almond milk. Now enjoy!