{
  "id": 16255558,
  "title": "From old copper moulds to a new generation of bahulu makers",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/23/from-old-copper-moulds-to-a-new-generation-of-bahulu-makers-16255558",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-23T23:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/leisure/2026/10/24/from-old-copper-moulds-to-a-new-generation-of-bahulu-makers"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Hassan Faisal Sayujan, a 37-year-old man from Melaka, has taken up the traditional craft of making bahulu, a type of cake. The process involves using copper moulds heated over a gas stove, with coconut husks placed above them to retain heat. The method has been passed down through generations, with Hassan Faisal’s grandparents first starting in Kuala Pilah in 1982. However, due to their advancing age, the business had to be put on hold. In 2018, Hassan Faisal began making bahulu on weekends, as a means to earn some extra cash. The demand for his products grew exponentially, leading to the establishment of a dedicated workshop in Kuala Pilah in late 2023, and another outlet in Melaka in August 2024. In the near future, a third outlet in Temerloh is set to open. Their approach to baking bahulu relies heavily on traditional methods, where the heat and timing are crucial. Unlike modern ovens with adjustable temperatures, the bahulu is baked using copper moulds heated over a gas stove, with coconut husks placed above them. A blower is used to ensure the heat is evenly distributed throughout the baking process. Despite the traditional methods, the business has seen a significant increase in orders, both online and at various booths and carnivals across Kuala Lumpur. The couple’s wife, Nurul Syamimi Iskandar Nor, is also involved in the business, assisting with the growth of the business from a weekend venture to a full-time operation. The business currently employs 14 people, and the Melaka outlet alone can produce up to 100 containers of bahulu daily, in both original and pandan flavors. The rise in demand for the bahulu is largely driven by online sales, particularly through TikTok, which accounts for approximately 60-70% of the business. To give customers insight into the traditional baking process, the family also livestreams daily from the Kuala Pilah workshop. This combination of an old family recipe, decades-old equipment, and modern sales methods has become a unique story.",
  "summary": "Hassan Faisal Sayujan left a stable manufacturing job to revive a family tradition of baking bahulu over coconut husks using copper moulds first used decades ago.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}