There’s no shortage of gelato joints in Melbourne but ones peddling flavours like durian, teh tarik (Malaysian condensed milk tea) and mint lychee are rarer.
“I want to bring the flavours that I grew up with, like durian and coconut with jackfruit,” says Agusta Triwahyu, owner and chief gelato maker at Brunswick East’s ('Beku' means ‘frozen’ in Bahasa Indonesian).
“Me being Indonesian – I grew up eating durians since I was young. I wanted to have the real flavours of durian in my gelato.”
‘Real’ isn’t used loosely here; you won’t find any essences, pastes or flavours in Beku’s frozen desserts. If it says raspberry or durian, that’s what Agusta is using. It was a no-brainer for her when it came to nailing authentic flavours.
Indonesian and Malaysian flavours reign supreme at Lygon Street's Beku Gelato. Source: Beku Gelato
“I had a little one at the time too and thought maybe I can make something they can enjoy without additional colours or flavours,” she says.
Gelato-making wasn’t always on the cards for Agusta. An engineer by trade, she arrived in Melbourne in 2001 to further her studies. Later, while holidaying in Rome, she was taken under the wing of a relative who happened to own a gelateria, and learned to make it the Italian way (under, gelato must have at least 3.5 per cent butterfat). Armed with her new skills, she returned to Melbourne and started experimenting on friends and family.
“They are my guinea pigs,” she laughs. “I tried my Turkish delight flavour on my Turkish friends, and my teh tarik on my Malaysian friends, who actually asked me to make it in the first place.”
Some gentle encouragement from her mates (and a neighbour who helped her decide on a shop name) led to Beku opening its doors on Lygon Street.
Other Indonesian flavour incarnations include a green apple and cucumber sorbet, a take on the rujak (spicy fruit salad) that Agusta grew up eating. The original version features green mango but local varieties proved too sour, so she swapped them for the Granny Smiths.
Don’t get too attached to flavours, though – they rotate monthly, so expect plenty more frozen twists on classic Asian flavours, along with all the classics (pistachios and chocolate are both at home here) soon.
171 Lygon Street, Brunswick East, VIC
