Mokti’s, global Malaysian dessert brand for gula apong ice cream

It is a story of how a easy longing for gula apong sparked the creation of a million-ringgit empire known as Mokti’s.

The girl pioneering this candy and decadent phenomenon sweeping Malaysia and past is a 33-year-old Perlis-born citizen, Siti Fatimah Adnan, who has a level in Know-how & Plantation Administration from UiTM.

The beginning of candy invention

Siti’s journey with Mokti’s started seven years in the past in Perlis, Malaysia, the place her love for gula apong impressed her entrepreneurial spirit.

In accordance with Malaysian startup storyteller, Richard Ker, Siti developed her love for this Sarawakian treasure when she stayed in Bintulu along with her husband’s household for 2 years. There, gula apong ice cream was a well-liked dessert.

When she returned to her village in 2014, she craved gula apong ice cream however couldn’t discover any. That gave Siti the thought to make her personal gula apong ice cream and introduce it to the individuals right here.

Siti attended an ice cream making course to study the fundamentals after which experimented to create her personal model.

Her household and family members grew to become her lab rats of her first creation. They repeatedly gave her suggestions and help till she was assured sufficient to open up an ice cream stall to promote her candy invention to the general public.

In accordance with FMT, at first, numerous ice cream didn’t make the minimize and she or he needed to throw it away till she discovered that one scrumptious recipe.

Now she has managed to provide 30 flavours utilizing gula apong as a base.

Her ice cream is made from 95% gula apong from Sarawak and 5% milk, with out incorporating white sugar and synthetic flavourings corresponding to vanilla flavouring.

Siti opened her first outlet, initially named Q Ice Cream Gula Apong, in Jejawi, Perlis, adjoining to a busy comfort retailer, beginning with a ten×12 sq ft. store. On the time, she bought RM2 comfortable serves with two free toppings.

Regardless of humble beginnings, her inexpensive comfortable serves shortly captured the hearts of locals, propelling her do-it-yourself ice cream to the forefront of dessert cravings.

What’s gula apong?

The Nipah palm tree naturally produces a candy sap, and it’s ample within the mangrove forests alongside the coastal areas all through Sarawak, primarily in Kota Samarahan and Betong.

As soon as the sap is boiled down, the substance with its golden caramel color presents a flavour distinct from white or brown sugar, characterised by a naturally candy but much less intense style with a touch of saltiness, paying homage to salted caramel.

Gula apong is broadly recognised as a more healthy different to subtle sugar or synthetic sweeteners due to its wealthy mineral content material, together with iron, calcium, sodium, zinc, and magnesium.

Again then, villagers in coastal areas historically produced and utilised gula apong, particularly the place sugar was scarce or costly on account of restricted highway accessibility.

Issues have modified over time, and now it’s in excessive demand on account of its versatility in meals and beverage preparations. 

The journey to candy success

In 2019, Siti rebranded her enterprise as Mokti’s Ice Cream, paying homage to her husband’s Sarawakian roots. Mokti is brief for Mok Fatimah, the title given to her by her husband’s household. 

Regardless of going through challenges, together with navigating via the preliminary two years of enterprise and the following influence of the motion management order (MCO), Siti’s willpower and resilience prevailed.

Utilizing income from her pioneer outlet, she expanded to a number of areas throughout Malaysia, together with Kedah, Selangor, Perak, Melaka, and Negeri Sembilan. 

Her dedication bore fruit as Mokti’s Ice Cream quickly expanded to 94 shops inside 4 years, with further franchises operated by different entrepreneurs, FMT reported in 2023. 

In 2022, her gross sales soared to a staggering RM11 million, a testomony to the widespread reputation of her artisanal creations. 

Siti’s ambitions didn’t cease at Malaysian borders. 

In February 2023, she celebrated a big milestone with the opening of her first worldwide outlet in Istanbul, Turkey. 

Right here, patrons can take pleasure in a wide range of treats, together with artisanal gelatos, popsicles, ice-cream tubs, caramel puddings, machiapong drinks, and cookies. 

Pushed by her ardour for her craft and her need to create job alternatives and encourage others, Siti continues to develop her dessert empire whereas staying true to her roots. 

With six factories in Perlis producing stick ice cream, comfortable serves, and gelatos, she stays dedicated to delivering high quality and innovation to her rising buyer base.

You possibly can study extra the enterprise right here.
Learn different articles we’ve written about Malaysian startups right here.

Featured Picture Credit score: Bernama / Mokti’s founder and her husband