Cimpa Explained

Cimpa should not be confused with CIMPA.

Cimpa are a variety of related cakes cooked by the Karo of North Sumatra, made of rice flour, coconut and palm sugar.

Four varieties of cimpa are produced:

Cimpa tuang - made from rice flour, grated coconut, palm sugar, and water. The mixture is made into a batter, which is fried like a pancake^[1]
Cimpa unung-unung - made from purple glutinous rice flour, grated coconut, palm sugar, and water. The ingredients are mixed into a dough, and are placed into individual singkut-leaf wrappers (Indonesian: singkut is a plant from the genus curculigo in the family of hypoxidaceae^[2]).
Cimpa bohan - made using purple glutinous rice flour, palm sugar, and grated coconut, cooked inside bamboo
Cimpa matah^[3]

Cimpa are traditionally consumed on the sixth day of the Kerja Tahun festival.^[4]

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