The etymology of the name
ketoprak is unknown, and its name similarity to the
Javanese folk-drama is peculiar. However, according to popular
Betawi tradition,
ketoprak was actually derived from the acronym of
ketupat tahu digeprak, to refer its ingredients; which are
ket from
ketupat,
to from
tahu and
toge, and
prak from
digeprak (
Betawi for: "mashed" or "crushed"), which describes the method on grinding
garlic,
chili pepper and peanut granules together to create the peanut sauce. It is also believed that a man who loved eating invented the dish because he grew tiresome of the food he had normally eaten. When he dropped the dish on to the floor, the plate made the sound "
ketuprak", which is where he got the idea for the name. In addition to its unique name, ketoprak is also unique in that all the street vendors use the same design for their carts. The vendors arrange and use all their tools in the same manner. A ketoprak wagon always has a stainless pan, a frying pan at the end of the cart, a used biscuit can for crackers, and a wooden pestle and mortar. Today, ketoprak is often associated with
Jakarta as the dish is more easily available in this city compared to others. However, there is a debate on whether or not it actually originated in Jakarta. Some has claimed that the dish was first made in Cirebon, while others say that it comes from Central Java. As of 2018, no one has discovered where the dish actually originated from. In Jakarta, majority of ketoprak street vendors hailed from the Western Javanese city of
Cirebon. In Cirebon, an area famous for its ketoprak is in Pasuketan area. Ketoprak might be derived from a popular Javanese-Sundanese dish
kupat tahu (tofu and ketupat), with addition of
bihun (rice vermicelli),
beansprouts, cucumber and sweet soy sauce. ==Ingredients==