War Takjil Phenomenon during Ramadan, What Does IPB University’s Expert Say?
Every Ramadan, there is something unique that is rarely found in other months, the phenomenon of war takjil. The war takjil phenomenon usually happens in the afternoon, when muslims are preparing to break their fast.
As iftar approaches, many food and beverage vendors sell various types of takjil along the streets or markets. In fact, it is not uncommon for new vendors to emerge who take advantage of Ramadan to try their luck.
This Ramadan social phenomenon has given birth to a new term: “takjil war”. It’s as if people are in a war, competing for their favorite takjil. This is not only enjoyed by muslims who are fasting, but also by people of other religions who are not fasting.
Dr Tjahja Muhandri, a lecturer at IPB University who is active in fostering micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME), said that the takjil war is a unique phenomenon in terms of several aspects.
“People scramble to buy food/drinks that were originally intended for buyers who want to break their fast. But then, both those who are fasting and those who are not, also scramble to buy. When consumers scramble to buy, this shows that there is a strong market pull, when needs arise,” he explained.
He said that the war takjil phenomenon has also led to the emergence of rare foods and drinks. “Please check, there will be many foods/drinks that are not available on normal days, but appear in Ramadan. They are attractively presented and cheaply priced. So the fight for takjil food/drinks could be a fight for ‘memories’,” he added jokingly.
Dr Tjahja said that this phenomenon also has a positive impact on MSME because their products can be sold easily, almost nothing is left. However, he said that MSME must be creative and willing to follow trends.
“As long as MSME want to follow product trends. Not monotonous with products that consumers don’t like,” he said.
For consumers, the war takjil phenomenon will also make it easier to find variants of the breakfasting menu. People have many options for what dishes to accompany their families when they break their fast.
Dr Tjahja also gave tips for MSME so that their products are liked by consumers, one of which is the aspect of cleanliness. “MSME need to make the impression of the product, container, presentation and even the selling is clean. Consumers will be happy,” he said.
“Use standard equipment, at least masks and clean gloves when serving consumers. Follow the trend, it’s okay to imitate products that are going viral. Most importantly, write a clear selling price so that consumers do not feel that they will be ‘price gouging’,” he advised.
One thing to note about the war takjil phenomenon, Dr Tjahja highlighted the aspect of food safety supervision. “Everyone can sell, make products, and set up stalls. So this aspect is vulnerable to cause poisoning or disease. So, the hygiene aspect is very important to be considered,” he added. (dh) (IAAS/NRA)
