ISLAND CRISPS
Island Crisp™ start their days as tiny olive-sized fruits hanging lazily from branches of the wild Melinjo tree throughtout the Indonesian archipelago.
Artisan producers hand pick the red-ripe fruits in the forests and strip away the skin to reveal the seed kernel. The kernels are then dry roasted in giant woks over roaring coffee wood fires, removing the moisture and dry-heat cooking the kernal. One by one, the seeds are flipped out of the hot work and hammered with a wooden mallet into a thin round chip …”SQUASH!”
The seed thins are dried, cured and five days later, ready for the crisping pot…Picked, Stripped, Roasted, Whacked and Dried! That’s it.
From here, our Island Crisps™ are shipped all the way from the jungles of Indonesia to the shores of the USA, Europe and Japan where each batch is inspected for quality before they are kettle cooked, packed and onto the store shelves to await your food exploration …”CRUNCH!”
The flavor of Molinjo Chips are uniquely addicting. They are not like a traditional potato chip in flavor nor texture. They are not like a Cassava Chip, in flavor nor texture. They are not like a corn chip, in flavor nor texture.
In texture, they more closely resemble a thin dense rice cake. They have a snap, yet there is air within the chip structure; although not as airy as a tapioca snack chip. The flavor is uniquely Molinjo. It is naturally savory, not sweet and there are slight tannins that tease your tongue. Yet, the savory tannins are balanced by the carbohydrates of the seed fiber, so there is this struggle on your palate to discern what it is you are actually tasting and experiencing. It is truly a distinct food experience. We then lightly salt and pepper the chips to add that hint of flavor “pop”, which brings the Molinjo chip to a level of gastronomical intrigue any food enthusiast or novice will truly appreciate.
The process of making Island Crisps™ is a centuries old tradition and is, unfortunately, quickly disappearing. Why? Well, it’s a very labor intensive process. Even in the far reaches of our ever increasingly shrinking world, traditional communities are influenced by the Western attitude of “the quick fix”. So, in come the quick fix chips from the west or an industrialized snack product from a large factory in SE Asia and out goes the traditional hand crafted molinjo chip.
This fading tradition has been losing ground for the last 20 years and Big Tree Farms is one of only a few companies still paying premiums to villages and encouraging them to continue their tradition of making with deliciously wonderful and distinct Indonesian chip.
Almost daily, we receive emails from Indonesian consumers who praise us and thank us for continuing to make this heritage product of their youth. It is because of this encouragement and the appreciation from consumers, not only in the local Indonesian market, but the global market, that we can continue to provide villages around the Indonesia archipelago with, not only an income, but more importantly a means for them to continue with a tradition they hold so dear.
While this product is not widely distributed, we do make it. If you are interested in trying it, please contact us and we can assist you in finding a retailer that can ship you the product. It’s worth it!