Housewife’s Version Of Agar-agar Candy Wins Over Customers

KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama) – There was a time when candied agar-agar or jelly candy was among the staple delicacies served during the Hari Raya Aidilfitri and Aidiladha celebrations.

The brightly coloured candy has a delightfully chewable texture, making it a favourite of people from all age groups.  

This delicacy, also known as agar-agar kering or lengkong kering in Malay, however, has practically disappeared with the passage of time and is rarely served during the festive season these days.

Housewife Zaimah Zakaria, 36, who hails from Langkawi and now resides in Sungai Buloh, Selangor, is trying to repopularise jelly candy by adding a twist to the confection. She has succeeded to a certain extent and her brand of jelly candy is fetching her a reasonably good income every month.  

 

Zaimah, who makes the gelatin-based candy at home and promotes and markets it via her Facebook account, is confident the traditional sweetmeat has what it takes to be popular once again and visualises it being served not only during festivals but also at other functions.

The mother-of-four told Bernama she has always been interested in cooking and enjoys whipping up new dishes.  

 “Early this year, I decided to try my hand at making the agar-agar candy. I modified the original recipe slightly and gave it to my family members and close friends to taste. Their feedback was absolutely positive.

“To be honest, I didn’t expect them to like it so much,” said Zaimah, who made and sold pickled fruit and salted fish sambal before venturing into making jelly candy.    

Later, she took the bold step of promoting her candied agar-agar on Facebook and found, to her pleasant surprise, that this treat still has many fans out there.

Zaimah’s jelly candy comes in various shapes, flavours and attractive colours such as red, green, blue, yellow and purple, and its sugar content is lower compared to traditional candy.

Most of her customers buy the treat for their own consumption or to be served at certain functions or as a door gift for guests attending engagement or wedding ceremonies.

 

Zaimah makes use of modern implements to prepare her jelly candy. After mixing the main ingredients – comprising agar-agar (vegetarian gelatin made from seaweed) and sugar – the mixture is scooped into silicone moulds with floral motifs.

The moulds are then neatly arranged on the racks of a food dehydrator and left there for 24 hours. (The dehydrator is a device that removes moisture from food.)  

In the past when dehydrators were not available, the mixture for the jelly candy had to be put outside to dry under the direct rays of the sun and it would take up to six days, depending on the weather, for the confection to be completely dehydrated and ready for consumption.  

“These days with the food dehydrator, we can get the treat ready within 24 hours. Not only that, this process is also more hygienic, compared to drying the jelly outdoors where it can attract ants and pests,” said Zaimah.

She added that well-made candied agar-agar usually looks glossy due to the crystallised sugar and is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.  

According to Zaimah, she got her jelly candy business off the ground with a capital of only RM1,500. Today, it is generating an average income of RM2,500 a month for her.

During festive periods, she receives orders for up to 20 jars of jelly candy a day, each weighing 500 grammes and priced at RM25.

“This business has helped to transform me from a full-time housewife into the owner of a profitable enterprise,” she added.

 

Translated by Rema Nambiar

BERNAMA