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Dodol, also known as kalamae or mont kalar mei, is a traditional sweet Confectionery of Southeast Asia, particularly associated with Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, Thailand and Myanmar. It is made by slowly simmering coconut milk and palm sugar with rice flour or glutinous rice until it thickens into a sticky, chewy consistency.
The confection later spread to South Asia, where it developed into kalu dodol in Sri Lanka and into regional variants in India, including goan dodol in Goa and thothal halwa in Tamil Nadu. In the Philippines, a closely related variant called kalamay is prepared with sugarcane instead of palm sugar. These sweets are commonly featured in festivals, communal gatherings and other significant occasions, reflecting their cultural importance across Southeast Asia and parts of the South Asian subcontinent.
These confections are known by various names across Southeast Asia, including dodol in maritime regions, Kalamay or dudol in the Philippines, dudoi, kalamea or kalamay in Thailand, mont kalar mei in Myanmar, galamai or gelamai in parts of Sumatra and jenang in Java. Despite differences in terminology, they share broadly similar methods of preparation, reflecting a common culinary tradition in the region.
In the Philippines, for example, kalamay has a long history in the Visayas and Mindanao, with origins traced to pre-colonial methods of cooking and preserving glutinous rice with coconut milk and sugarcane juice. These techniques allowed Harvest to be stored over longer periods while also serving ritual and communal purposes. Beyond the Visayas, related sweets such as dudol and dodol are also found in other regions. In northern Luzon, a version appears in Ilocano people and is believed to have been introduced by Malay and Indian settlers prior to Spanish colonization. In parts of Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago, dodol is widely prepared by the Maranao people, Maguindanaon and Tausug, typically wrapped in Cleome gynandra or colourful cellophane, and sometimes moulded into cylinders and sliced into discs, closely resembling forms seen in Indonesia and Malaysia.
In Thailand, kalamae is traditionally associated with southern regions, including in Phatthalung Province, where it is regarded as a longstanding local specialty. Some historical accounts suggest that the confection developed from ya khanom (“medicine sweet”), an older southern Thai preparation. Another perspective links its origins to the Mon language and Burmese language, where a similar sweet is known as kwayn kalamae ( kwayn meaning “confection”). Over time, the preparation evolved into its present form, in which palm sugar syrup and coconut milk are simmered before the gradual addition of rice flour, producing a sticky confection that could be stored for extended periods. In Krabi province, the dessert is also called yanom, a local name used by southern Thais, which literally means “lord of sweets” ( phaya khanom) due to its reputation for exceptional taste. Among the Thai Malays, the sweet is known as dodoi, where it continues to be prepared as part of local heritage and communal tradition.
One of the early written references to dodol appears in Javanese culture, where the term is derived from the Old Javanese dodol or dwadwal, meaning “a snack made from sticky rice flour and sugar.” Early forms were prepared with palm sugar, rice flour and flavourings such as durian. The confection is also listed in the Gemekan inscription from 852 Saka (930 CE) and was served in royal banquets of the Mataram kingdom (8th–11th centuries), highlighting its role in courtly as well as everyday food culture.
This broader diffusion is also evident in Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula, Borneo and Sulawesi, all historically important centres of trade and cultural exchange in the region. The widespread availability of coconut, palm sugar and rice in these areas supported the development of similar confections, which became embedded in local culinary traditions, particularly in association with communal and festive occasions.
Portuguese India also contributed to the introduction of dodol in Goa during the 16th century, where it became a staple of festival cuisine. In the region, the sweet is traditionally prepared for religious and cultural celebrations and is often flavoured with cardamom and garnished with .
A related variant, thothal halwa (locally known as lothal or nudhal), developed in Tamil Nadu, particularly in towns such as Kilakarai and Ramanathapuram. It was likely introduced via Sri Lanka and has since become an established part of the region's culinary heritage.
Beyond its role in Islamic culture, dodol features in diverse religious and cultural contexts. Among the Ilocano people of northern Philippines, known locally as dudol, it is considered part of local food heritage, its thickness and stickiness symbolising family solidarity and unity. Traditionally made from ground glutinous rice ( diket), coconut milk ( gettá) and sugarcane juice ( benńal), it is prepared during Holy Week, for atáng offerings to the dead on All Saints’ Day ( Undas) and at the Guling-Guling Festival in Paoay, Ilocos Norte, a pre-Lenten celebration of Spanish colonial origin.
In Bali, dodol is offered during the Hindu festival of Galungan to symbolise the destruction of falsehood and the cultivation of spiritual clarity, while among Chinese Indonesians it is prepared as nian gao for Imlek (Chinese New Year). Across these varied settings, dodol and its regional variants serve as symbolic foods that reinforce social bonds and mark occasions of spiritual and communal significance.
In Thailand, kalamare (or kalamae) holds deep cultural significance and is closely tied to major social and religious occasions. Often served at weddings, its sticky texture is interpreted as a metaphor for fidelity and lasting bonds between couples, while its sweetness symbolises wishes for happiness and harmony in family life. Because its preparation requires patience and long, careful stirring, it further embodies the perseverance and cooperation expected in marriage. Beyond weddings, kalamae is one of the three sweets traditionally prepared for the Thai New Year (Songkran Festival), as well as for ordination rites and communal ceremonies. A few days before such events, hosts typically invite neighbours to help stir the sweet, reinforcing ideals of generosity and social solidarity. It is also offered in wedding processions ( khan maak) and ancestor rites, served to monks and shared with guests, making it both a symbol of togetherness and a gift of goodwill.
Through colonial and cultural exchange, dodol and related sweets spread beyond Southeast Asia. In Sri Lanka, kalu dodol is a popular festive sweet, traditionally prepared for occasions such as Eid and the Sinhala New Year. In Goa, India, dodol is traditionally served at weddings and during Christmas. Across these regions, dodol and its variants have been adapted to local tastes and integrated into communal traditions.
Other notable types include wajit Cililin from West Java, wrapped in corn husks, dodol Betawi from Jakarta, traditionally prepared for Lebaran and madumongso from East Java, made from fermented black glutinous rice. Regional specialities also include meuseukat in Aceh, which uses pineapple and spices, asidah in Maluku Islands with strong Middle Eastern influences and alame in Mandailing, North Sumatra, prepared communally before Eid. These regional forms illustrate how dodol has been adapted to local tastes and continues to play an important role in ritual, festive and everyday culinary traditions throughout the archipelago.
Presentation also varies across regions. Kalamay sa bao is served in young coconut shells with some of the meat still attached, while kalamay lansong is packaged in bamboo, a style common in areas outside Bohol. These variations highlight the adaptability of kalamay to local tastes and resources while preserving its identity as a sticky rice-based confection.
Another sticky rice-based sweet in the southern Philippines is Maranao dodol. Like kalamay, it is prepared as a sticky, chewy confection and wrapped in corn husks or dried leaves of banana or abaca. Dodol is sold widely in Marawi and nearby towns in Lanao del Sur, particularly in Ganassi and is available in small, medium and large sizes along roadside stalls and markets, often visited by travellers between Cotabato City and Marawi.
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