Indonesian groom gives liter of cooking oil to bride as dowry for their wedding

An Indonesian man gave cooking oil to his new bride as her wedding dowry last week.

Supadi, a 60-year-old groom from East Java, gave his wife-to-be, 54-year-old Sumariati, a liter of cooking oil for her dowry during their wedding ceremony on Feb. 22, reported Mashable.

Muslim dowries traditionally include a prayer rug, gold jewelry and a Quran. Whether the man intended it or not, his unique gift has highlighted the severe shortage of palm-based cooking oil in Indonesia – even though the Southeast Asian country is known as the largest exporter of palm oil in the world.

“Although one liter isn’t much, it’s still valuable,” said Meki Hasan Tachtarudin, religious affairs officer for the Sooko District of East Java and the wedding ceremony’s facilitator. ”It’s a necessity – everyone needs it for cooking.”

Palm-based cooking oil has become a scarce commodity in Indonesia partly due to the increase in palm oil exports and the demand for biodiesel, a combination of palm oil and diesel fuel, according to The Straits Times.

Along with the cooking oil, Supadi also reportedly gave Sumariati a cash dowry of 1 million Indonesian rupiahs (approximately $64.46).

Featured Image via Jateng Pedia

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