Roziah pouring sticky nise mixture onto a wooden surface covered in wheat flour at her home in Taman Desa Kemumin, Padang Tembak in Pengkalan Chepa. — Photos: Bernama
A SWEET candy called “coklat nise”, a legendary delicacy renowned in Kelantan since ancient times, remains popular although production has dwindled as not many are interested in the trade.
Confectionery entrepreneur Roziah Hussein, 59, said making “coklat nise” was a challenging task, as her small business was based out of her home kitchen. She is assisted by her fifth child, Ros Amira Romli.
“I learned the craft of making this sweet product from my mother, Limah Jinal, 80, who dedicated almost 40 years to making it in Kampung Beris Panji.
The sweets are cut using betel nut cutters.
“I assisted my mother since childhood and took over this business more than a decade ago when she fell ill.
“But now, I have to operate it from home as I don’t have a dedicated space and sufficient capital,” said Roziah who manages the business at Taman Desa Kemumin, Padang Tembak in Pengkalan Chepa.
She told Bernama that she would start on her daily production as early as 5am to produce 4,000 pieces or 100 packages of “coklat nise” a day, catering to the demands of wholesalers, particularly traders at Pasar Siti Khadijah.
The sweet candy that is ready to be packaged.
The mother of six and grandmother of 13 said some of the ingredients used are nise kerek (palm sugar), wheat flour, coconut milk, peanuts and a pinch of salt.
“I adhere to the traditional method of using an entirely manual approach, without help from any machinery.
“The wheat flour undergoes a toasting process until it reaches a crisp texture followed by sifting, while the peanuts are first stripped of their skins before being fried.
Coklat nise can be found at Pasar Siti Khadijah, Kota Baru.
“Originally, I used a wood stove, but have now changed to a gas stove. It takes nearly two hours to transform nise from solid pieces to a liquid state.
“Subsequently, peanuts and coconut milk are added and the concoction is stirred until it achieves a thick consistency,” she said.
She added that making these sweets required swift action due to the high temperatures involved.
Any delay in the process may cause the nise syrup to harden, making it challenging to shape.
Nise Man Chocolate can be found at Pasar Siti Khadijah. — Bernama
Roziah said that when the nise reached the desired consistency, it is poured onto a wooden surface dusted with wheat flour, creating a pool-like shape.
After allowing it to cool for a bit, the nise is meticulously shaped into elongated rectangles.
Roziah said the elongated shape would then be cut using a kati or betel nut cutter, which requires expertise to achieve the desired size for the sweets.
Roziah (left) and her daughter Ros Amira rolling nise into long oval shapes.
After that, wheat flour, which serves to absorb heat and prevent stickiness, is once again added before the sweets are wrapped in colourful kite paper.
“Though the process of wrapping the sweets may appear simple, it demands skill and consumes four to five hours.
“As my children are occupied with their own work, I employ others for the packaging and marketing processes.
“Coklat nise” is sold to wholesalers at RM180 for 50 packages. Its demand remains steady, not only in Terengganu and Kuala Lumpur but also in international destinations such as Ireland and Brunei,” she said.
The sweet candies are ready to be wrapped using colorful wau paper. — Bernama
As the demand for “coklat nise” was exceptionally high and in pursuit of innovation, Roziah invested over RM20,000 last year in a specialised machine.
Unfortunately, it proved unsuitable and could not be utilised.
She shared that in November 2014, she received an invitation to personally demonstrate the intricate art of cutting and wrapping “coklat nise”.
The audience comprised delegations from Brunei and Kelantan that gathered at Kampung Kraftangan.
