Kudus Kretek City

What do you know about Kudus? Kudus is one region in Central Java which included one of heritage from Sunan [preacher of Islam]: Sunan Muria, Sunan Kedu, and Sunan Kudus. We can find all these graves of Sunan in this city. Kudus located in northern coast of Java [Pantura] among Semarang and Surabaya.

The word “Kudus” is came from Arabic means “holy”. Encyclopedia of Islam mention Kudus: "Al Kuds; the usual Arabic name for Jerusalem in later times, the older writers call it commonly Bait al Maqdis (according to some: mukaddas), with really meant the temple (of Solomon), a translation of the hebrew bethamikdath, but itu because applied to the whole town." This term was related to pre-Islamic and Islamic history in Kudus. We can see some historical legacy from Sunan Kudus, conveyor of Islam in Java. There was a history of Masjid Menara Kudus that we can see inlay of this mosque, there was gapura from ancient Hindu which is not vanished anyway. It is one of wisdom of Sunan Kudus when he was ruling in Kudus region.

There was history from culinary of Kudus called by Soto Kudus. In ingredients of Soto Kudus we can find buffalo meat. Why buffalo meat not beef? Because in ancient Hindu, the cow is one of sacred animals forbidden to be killed. So that is the reason of Sunan Kudus does not using beef in case of honoring Hindu’s people. Nowadays we can find Soto Kudus one of them in Soto Kudus Bu Jatmi Jl. Wahid Hasyim no.43 Kudus. In this stall we can favor two kind of meat: chicken and buffalo. This culinary is became the main icon of Kudus City. 

Also in this city we can try some other Indonesian authentical food called by Lenthog.  Lenthog is consist of lontong, jackfruit cooked vegetables and tofu kothokan lodeh, served with pieces of kerupuk. The one popular is Lenthog Tanjung Pak Ashadi in Jl. A. Yani no.31 (in front of CIMB Niaga Bank.

Kudus sometimes called by “Kretek City” [Kota Kretek] because in this city from historical timeline it is one of many places in Indonesia that producing cigarettes in industrial scale. Such as one name: HM Nitisemito, who claimed to be the first pioneer of kretek cigarette.  He was the owner of PT Rokok Tjap Bal Tiga. Nowadays we can find history of kretek cigarette which became Indonesian character cigarette in Museum Kretek Kudus in Jl. Getas Pejaten, Kudus.

Kudus have given to me some inspirational moments by that unique experience. It was made me to more curious about loving and exploring one and only one my country: Indonesia