“Ever wondered about a place in Jakarta named after an onion?” I ask. Right here we are in Kebon Bawang. It is a kelurahan in Tanjung Priok of North Jakarta. Kebon Bawang’s story goes back to the Dutch colonial era. This area played a vital role in Jakarta’s history when Jakarta was known as Batavia.
Back then Tanjung Priok’s port was a bustling hub. Various commodities flowed in and out. This included spices traded between islands and countries. One key commodity was bawang. Bawang is the Indonesian word for onion.
In the 17th century Kebon Bawang was full of onion farms. Both red and white onions thrived here. Traders dealing in spices started calling it Kebon Bawang. The name stuck. It has been known as Kebon Bawang ever since. The name even appears on old Jakarta maps.
Today Kebon Bawang has transformed. The onion farms are gone. Now it is a residential area. Yet Tanjung Priok’s port remains active. It still sends goods throughout Indonesia and abroad.
In 2020 Kebon Bawang was home to over 64000 people. It is a densely populated area. About 37000 people live per square kilometer. The population consists of diverse ethnic groups. Javanese Betawi Batak and Sundanese people live here. There are also Minangkabau Chinese and Bugis communities.
Kebon Bawang’s religious life is also diverse. Most residents are Muslim. There are also significant Christian Protestant and Catholic communities. Small numbers of Buddhists and Hindus also live here.
Kebon Bawang still carries echoes of its past. A place named for onions reminds us of Jakarta’s trading history. The aroma of spices once filled the air here. Today the spirit of trade continues at Tanjung Priok. The port connects Jakarta to the world. Kebon Bawang a name from the past thrives in the present.