Discover 10 mouth-watering souvenirs from Balikpapan, from delicious culinary delights to unique souvenirs, perfect for your travel memories.
Balikpapan, located in East Kalimantan, is not only known as one of the gateways to Indonesia’s natural charm, but also offers a variety of mouth-watering souvenirs. For travelers, sampling local cuisine and bringing home unique souvenirs is an integral part of the travel experience.
In this city, you will find a variety of souvenirs that are not only delicious, but also reflect the richness of the region’s culture. Here are ten typical Balikpapan souvenirs that you must try and bring home.
1. Monitor
Mantau is a typical food that resembles bread without filling, often served as a side dish. Round in shape like a bakpao, this food has a savory and slightly sweet taste. Usually, mantau is enjoyed with black pepper beef, creating a delicious combination of flavors.
You can find mantau in various places, such as “Pondok Mantau” and “Mantau Blue Sky,” as well as in souvenir centers and outlets at the airport. Mantau is an ideal choice for those of you who want to bring home culinary delights that reflect local flavors.
2. Cow Ilat Cake
Ilat Sapi Cake is a unique snack made from a mixture of flour, brown sugar, and sesame. Even though the name contains the word “beef,” there is no beef in this cake. Its shape that resembles a cow’s tongue makes it easy to recognize.
This cake has a soft texture and an alluring sweet taste, making it one of the favorite choices in various souvenir centers in Balikpapan. Try this cake and feel the uniqueness of this Typical Balikpapan Food.
3. Potato Chips
Bingka Potato is a typical food made from potatoes, creating a soft and sticky texture. With the addition of butter, eggs, milk, coconut milk and sugar, potato bingka offers a savory and sweet taste.
Usually, this frame is shaped like a flower crown, but you can also find round versions with various flavors, such as original, chocolate, cheese, banana, vanilla, pandan, and brown sugar. Potato Frames are souvenirs that are not only delicious but also interesting to display.
4. Panglima Durian Bread
Panglima Durian Bread is the perfect choice for durian fans. This bread has a rich durian flesh filling, and its puffy shape makes it tempting to the taste buds. You can also find variants with a mixture of cheese which adds to the deliciousness.
Panglima Durian Bread can be found at the official store on Jalan Jenderal Sudirman No. 9, Gunung Bahagia, and various souvenir shops, including at the airport. Take this bread home as a special souvenir from Balikpapan.
5. Jenebora Roll Cake
Bolu Gulung Jenebora is inspired by the Jenebora sub-district located across Balikpapan Bay. This sponge cake has a soft texture and a sweet taste that is appetizing.
There are various interesting flavors, such as green dragon, green tea, rainbow, pineapple, durian, and pandan. This cake can be the right choice to take home and enjoy with your loved ones. Find Bolu Gulung Jenebora at “Gulung Jenebora” outlets spread across Balikpapan.
6. Snake Fruit Cake
Salak Cake is a unique processed product made from snake fruit which is usually not sold on the market. By processing salak into cakes, you can taste a different savory and delicious taste.
Salak Cake is sold at prices starting from IDR 60,000 at the SalaKilo shop owned by Riswah Yuni, which is located in Batu Ampar, Balikpapan. If you can’t shop at Batu Ampar, you can also find this cake at SAMS Sepinggan Airport or order it online.
7. Bakpia, a specialty of Balikpapan
Balikpapan’s signature bakpia offers a larger size compared to bakpia from Yogyakarta. The skin of this bakpia has a savory and slightly salty taste, with a sweet taste that appears when you bite into the inside.
Available in various flavors, such as green beans, cheese, and chocolate, you can find this bakpia at souvenir shops on Jalan Ahmad Yani, Central Balikpapan, at affordable prices. This Bakpia is the right choice for a practical and delicious souvenir.
8. Dodol
Balikpapan’s signature dodol is made from sticky rice, sugar, and coconut milk mixed with animal fat. The process of making this dodol uses firewood, resulting in a drier texture than other dodol.
You can find this dodol at various souvenir shops, including the Kebun Sayur Inpres Market, with prices starting from IDR 20,000. This dodol is a delicious snack and is perfect to take home.
9. Sticky Rice Tape
Sticky Rice Tape, or peat tapai lakatan, has a unique texture, neither soft nor sticky. This food is usually green in color from sticky rice, with the addition of food coloring for a more intense color.
You can visit several UMKM that sell Tape Ketan in Balikpapan, such as Tape Ketan Mama and MAMAJI, with prices ranging from IDR 20,000 to IDR 60,000. Tape Ketan is an interesting and flavorful souvenir.
10. Crab Floss
As a coastal city, Balikpapan has abundant seafood, one of which is crab. Crab abon is a typical snack made from shredded crab meat. Its texture is smoother than beef, making it a savory and crunchy complement to rice.
One of the biggest crab floss brands in Balikpapan is Bontings, which you can find on Jalan Cakalang, East Balikpapan. Crab floss is a must-try souvenir to add to your culinary experience.
With a variety of tempting souvenirs, Balikpapan offers an unforgettable culinary experience for travelers. From traditional foods to modern snacks, each product reflects the richness of local culture and flavors.
This cake has a soft texture and an alluring sweet taste, making it one of the favorite choices in various souvenir centers in Balikpapan. Try this cake and feel the uniqueness of this Typical Balikpapan Food.
