Kong Mah Café (Green Bean Bread)

Tracing the Taste Trail at Kong Mah Café: The Legend of Tebing Tinggi's Green Bean Bread

While Tebing Tinggi in North Sumatra is often dubbed the "Lemang City," for culinary enthusiasts delving into the local flavor treasure trove, this city holds a hidden gem that is far older and possesses profound historical value: Kong Mah Café. Located in the heart of Tebing Tinggi's old town, Kong Mah Café is not just an ordinary coffee shop; it is a guardian of the Green Bean Bread making tradition that has endured for generations.

#

Historical Roots and the Philosophy Behind the Name Kong Mah

The name "Kong Mah" itself carries strong emotional and historical weight. In the Hokkien dialect, Kong means grandfather and Mah means grandmother. This naming refers to the respect for the ancestors who founded this business, which began pioneering traditional snacks decades ago. Kong Mah Café represents the cultural acculturation of the Chinese in North Sumatra, where recipes from mainland China adapted to local ingredients and the tastes of the local community.

Since its inception, Kong Mah has never altered the essence of the place. Entering this café is like stepping back in time. The colonial-style building with high ceilings, wooden tables whose colors have faded with age, and the aroma of baking bread filling the air create a nostalgic atmosphere that no modern café can replicate.

#

Culinary Masterpiece: The Iconic Green Bean Bread

The signature dish that has made Kong Mah's name resonate beyond North Sumatra is the Green Bean Bread. Unlike typical bakpia or pia, Kong Mah's Green Bean Bread has very specific characteristics. This bread is known for its flaky (layered and crispy) crust, yet has a soft and dense interior.

The main uniqueness lies in its green bean filling. The green beans used are selected with very strict quality standards. The process of preparing this filling takes hours; from soaking, manually peeling the skin, steaming, to the grinding process mixed with selected cane sugar and a little vegetable oil to achieve a creamy paste texture that doesn't stick to the roof of your mouth.

#

Kitchen Secrets: Traditional Baking Techniques

One thing that keeps Kong Mah's Green Bean Bread superior is their adherence to traditional baking techniques. Amidst the onslaught of modern electric ovens, Kong Mah continues to maintain the use of brick ovens or kilns heated by specific methods to keep the temperature stable.

The process of making the bread's pastry uses a "double fold" technique. Sheets of flour dough are mixed with vegetable fat, folded repeatedly to create dozens of thin layers. When baked, the air between these layers expands, creating a crispy effect that instantly crumbles when bitten (melt in the mouth).

The surface of these bread pieces is golden yellow with sesame seeds sprinkled on top, providing a strong nutty aroma when in contact with heat. No chemical preservatives are used, so the shelf life of this bread is relatively short, a testament to the fact that freshness is the top priority for the Kong Mah management family.

#

Coffee Ritual: The Bread's Loyal Companion

At Kong Mah Café, enjoying Green Bean Bread is incomplete without ordering a cup of Kopi O (strong black coffee) or traditional Milk Coffee. The coffee beans used are usually Robusta, roasted in the torrefacto style (roasted with a little sugar to caramelize).

The "Nongkrong" (hanging out) culture at Kong Mah reflects the social harmony in Tebing Tinggi. Here, you will see customers from various ethnic backgrounds sitting side by side. There is an unwritten tradition where customers often dip the tip of their Green Bean Bread into hot coffee before eating it. The combination of the sweet and savory taste of green beans with the bitterness of coffee creates a unique explosion of flavor on the tongue.

#

Family Heritage and Taste Consistency

Kong Mah's success in maintaining its reputation for decades lies in its family management system, which is very secretive about recipes but open in service. The Green Bean Bread recipe is considered a heritage treasure passed down only to direct descendants.

Every morning, before sunrise, activity in the Kong Mah kitchen has already begun. Family members usually get directly involved to oversee the ingredient measurements. Consistency is key; they do not pursue mass production that could reduce quality. That is why, often on holidays or during peak travel seasons, customers have to be willing to queue for a long time or even run out of stock if they come too late.

#

Cultural Context and Role in Tourism

For the people of Tebing Tinggi, Kong Mah is not just a place to eat, but a city identity. Green Bean Bread from Kong Mah is often a mandatory souvenir for anyone passing through the Trans-Sumatra route connecting Medan with the east coast regions like Asahan or Labuhan Batu.

In a social context, this café serves as a meeting point across generations. Parents bring their children and grandchildren here to introduce them to the flavors they enjoyed decades ago. This creates a chain of collective memory that sustains Kong Mah Café amidst the onslaught of fleeting modern culinary trends.

#

Irreplaceable Uniqueness

If we compare Kong Mah's Green Bean Bread with similar products from other regions like Bakpia Pathok Yogyakarta or Pia Legong Bali, Kong Mah has a more "bold" flavor profile in terms of oil usage (traditionally uses peanut oil) and a more massive filling density. Furthermore, its baked aroma has a subtle smoky characteristic, a result of using high temperatures at the beginning of the baking process.

Besides Green Bean Bread, Kong Mah also often serves other variants like red bean (tausa) or pandan filling, but still, the original green bean variant is the undisputed primadonna. Each piece of bread is wrapped in simple oil paper, maintaining an efficient yet iconic packaging tradition.

#

Conclusion: Nurturing Tradition in the Modern Era

Facing the digital era, Kong Mah Café remains humble. They do not engage in extensive promotions on social media. Its popularity grows organically through word of mouth. For flavor adventurers, visiting Tebing Tinggi without stopping by Kong Mah Café is a great loss.

There, under the shelter of an old building that holds thousands of stories, Green Bean Bread is not just a snack. It is a symbol of a family's perseverance in preserving taste heritage, a tribute to their ancestors (Kong and Mah), and tangible proof that in the ever-changing culinary world, authenticity and quality will always find their way to endure. Kong Mah Café is the soul of Tebing Tinggi's culinary scene, a living legend that continues to serve warmth in every bite of its bread.