Sumenep, My Hometown (Elfa Nugraha)

Sumenep, My Hometown

Sumenep is a quite, little town in the province of Eastern Java. It is located furthest east of the island of Madura, surrounded by islands and beaches, which causes the weather in Sumenep to be very hot. It has an area of 2.093.45 km², and has a small population of about one million people.

Sumenep has quite a few unique places which tourists should visit. In the heart of Sumenep, one can find the Great Mosque, and the Adipura Park right across it. The architecture of the Great Mosque is influenced by Islamic, Chinese, and European architecture. This can be seen from the style and colours of its gate. The Adipura Park, like most (“alun-alun”) parks of towns in Java, is a place where one can find many people “hanging out” and taking walks. There are many kinds of food sold around the park. The Royal Palace (Kraton) of Sumenep is located about one hundred meters east of the Adipura Park. This palace was built in 1762, when Tumenggung Arya Nata Kusumo was in power. The gate which leads to the palace complex is known as “The Smiling Gate”. There is also a park located in the palace. This park has a swimming pool, which was specially used by princesses. Now, the palace is used to keep old weapons, ceremonial attributes, clothes, and attributes of old kings. About 30 km east of the town, one can find the Lombang Beach. This place is still very natural. One can simply enjoy the white sands of the beach, enjoy the breeze, while drinking coconut juice straight directly from the fruit at a cheap price.

There are some types of food which are associated with Sumenep. Kaldu, for instance, is a type of food which people in Sumenep like. This food probably became known to people in Sumenep, long ago from Arab immigrants. Kaldu itself is a thick soup with soya beans and tarsal bones of cows. It is a tasty meal which one must try in Sumenep. Sate is known as typical Madurese meal, but one can hardly find this in the town of Sumenep. Perhaps most cooks of sate have moved out, in order to do business elsewhere. Sate itself is pieces of meat served on a stick, most often served with sweet soya sauce mixed with “nut sauce”. Corn cooked in a special kind of way (perhaps fried) is a kind of snack which people in Sumenep like to serve. It is crispy, and tastes salty. Another kind of snack which is favoured by people in Sumenep is fried nuts served with “lorjuk”. “Lorjuk” itself is a snack which resembles “teri”, but black and slightly larger. It doesn’t taste as salty as “teri”, but in my opinion, it is more tasty.

As you can see, Sumenep is a quite interesting place, so you should go there sometime. Try the food, and visit the places!

Well organized, thanks for posting.