Treasures from the Palace

KOMPAS/YUNIADHI AGUNG

A farmer picks tea leaves at the Kaligua tea plantation in Brebes regency, Central Java.

Tea producers have begun to realize the importance of narratives to promote teh Nusantara (tea of the archipelago) and are trying to identify old practices to be used as reference points for such narratives. In Yogyakarta has a long tea-drinking tradition that goes along with a set of rules and rituals. This is a treasure trove of tea narratives.

Two servants of the Yogyakarta Palace sat cross-legged in front of the Nyai Jalatunda well. In front of them were offerings in the form of fruit and kembang setaman (water with floral petals). Not long after, one of the servants burned incense, then chanted prayers. The tea-brewing process at Yogyakarta Palace began, following a tradition that has lasted for generations.

A servant fanned the stove to keep the fire burning.

They shared assignments. One of them fetched water from the Nyai Jalatunda well while another lit fire in a charcoal-fueled stove. On the stove was then placed a large kettle filled with water taken from the well. A servant fanned the stove to keep the fire burning.

That Saturday morning, the servants of Yogyakarta Palace were carrying out an intricate routine to prepare tea at the Gedhong Patehan building. The people involved in preparing the drink are called the Patehan servants. In the organizational structure of Yogyakarta Palace, the Patehan servants are under the Kawedanan Hageng Punakawan (KHP) Purayakara, a unit in charge of preparing equipment for palace events.

Yogyakarta Palace’s senior figure for the Patehan tradition, Mas Riyo Reso Dinomo, said one of the duties of the Patehan servants was to prepare tea for the tea serving ceremony held twice a day at the palace. Reso called the tradition of serving tea an act of obedience. "Obedience must be implemented," he said.

KOMPAS/YUNIADHI AGUNG

People enjoy the evening by drinking tea and eating tempeh mendoan (batter fried tempeh) in a teapot shop in Tegal, Central Java. Enjoying tea has is a common activity for residents of Tegal and its surrounding areas.

When preparing tea, the Patehan servants are indeed bound by a number of rules that must be obeyed. One of them is that the water for the tea must be taken from the Nyai Jalatunda well inside the Gedhong Patehan building.

The tea-serving ceremonies at Yogyakarta Palace are held at 6 a.m. and 11 a.m. every day. The brewing process starts at 4 a.m.

At the designated time, the drinks would be carried by five female servants of the Keparak palace unit. Three of them would bring tea, coffee and hot water, respectively. Another servant would bring a special teapot called the klemuk, which water had been left in for one night.

Meanwhile, another servant was assigned to carry an umbrella to protect the klemuk. The tea and other drinks are then taken to the Gedhong Prabayeksa building in the Yogyakarta Palace complex.

Thus, the chemical extraction in the tea will be very good, so that arguably the quality of the brewed tea will be more perfect.

Researcher Prawoto Indarto, who has written a book about tea, revealed that letting the water stand all night turns it into water with a very low level of total dissolved solids (TDS). "Thus, the chemical extraction in the tea will be very good, so that arguably the quality of the brewed tea will be more perfect," Indarto said.

Change

Based on information on the Yogyakarta Palace website, the tea serving ceremony originated from the Yogyakarta Palace kings’ past tradition of drinking tea everyday. However, the tradition began to change since the leadership of Sultan Hamengku Buwono (HB) IX, because, Sultan HB IX also held a number of positions in the central government, so he spent more time in Jakarta.

From that time on, the tradition of drinking tea at the Yogyakarta Palace changed. Tea is no longer to be served to the king.

Kompas/Yuniadhi Agung

Tea pickers board a pickup truck to collect tea leaves at the Pagilaran tea factory, Batang regency, Central Java.

KHP Purayakara senior figure Kanjeng Raden Tumenggung (KRT) Danukusumo said, in addition to the routine tea-serving ceremony, the Patehan servants are also tasked with making tea during the organization of hajad dalem (official palace events). One example of hajad dalem is the Ngabekten ceremony that is held on the first and second days of Idul Fitri.

The Ngabekten ceremony is attended by relatives and servants of the Yogyakarta Palace with the aim of expressing respect and gratitude to the king. The servants and relatives of the palace are required to face the Sultan squatting. After that, they kiss the knee of the Sultan, who is sitting. The tools for serving tea differ depending on the position of the person being served.

The complex tea-serving process is a cultural treasure. In other countries, like Japan with its chanoyu or Britain with its afternoon tea, tea rituals can be even more complex and sacred. Precisely therein lies the added value.

The ritual becomes a narrative sold to the world. Britain, which has no tea plantations, is much better known for its tea tradition than some other countries that have thousands of hectares of tea plantations.

KOMPAS/YUNIADHI AGUNG

Local tea produced in Samigaluh, Kulonprogo, Yogyakarta.

In other words, this Patehan ritual at Yogyakarta Palace could be the starting point for developing Indonesian tea narratives. The narratives could be attached to the names of Indonesian teas, so as to give them more value.

Other aspects of tea drinking tradition also need to be explored, then developed into narratives identified with local teas. Such creative ways need to be sought to enhance the prestige of teh Nusantara.

(HARIS FIRDAUS/MOHAMMAD HILMI FAIQ