JOHOR BARU, Malaysia (The Star/ANN) — For as long as she can remember, Nur Siti Farhana Aziz has enjoyed eating dodol every Hari Raya.

However, the 24-year-old sales adviser had never given much thought to how the sticky-sweet confection was made, until now.

She spent hours stirring the thick, gooey mixture over an open fire alongside friends and local residents during a dodol-making event at Stulang Laut Mosque here recently.

"It was then I realized that what seemed like a simple festive delicacy actually requires a labor-intensive process, along with patience, teamwork and plenty of arm strength.

"Dodol is a festive staple in my household, but it was my first time making it."

"Although it took a lot of effort, I found it quite rewarding," she said when interviewed.

For Nur Siti Farhana, the experience was more than just a cooking lesson — it was a way to preserve heritage.

"Like me, I think many youths are unaware of how traditional snacks like dodol are made."

"I feel lucky to be able to learn from senior members of the mosque because it is important that traditional recipes are passed down to the next generation," she added.

Stulang Laut Mosque adviser Muhammad Yunos Omar said they used 30 kilograms of glutinous rice flour, 54 kg of coconut milk and 24 kg of palm sugar to make the dodol in two large woks.

The event, organized in collaboration with nongovernmental organizations and Stulang assemblyman Andrew Chen, began at 9 a.m. with the preparation of ingredients.

"About 30 residents and public participants took part, taking turns to stir the dodol."

"Once it was cooked by 4 p.m., we let it cool before packing it into more than 200 containers for distribution to nearby residents in conjunction with the festive season."

"In previous years, we prepared bubur lambuk during Ramadan."

"This time, we decided to do something different by making dodol, a Hari Raya must-have," he said.

Yunos, who is also Kampung Stulang Laut resident committee deputy chairman, said the event was also an opportunity to pass down dodol-making knowledge to the younger generation.

"We used my family's dodol recipe for the event."

"There is no secret recipe; we just need lots of patience to produce the snack."

"I am also open to sharing the recipe with others, especially the younger ones," he added.