One of most impressive traditional markets in Jakarta is Induk Kramat Jati Market. This is the ‘mother-of-all’ produce markets in the city.
Located in the southeast portion of the Jakarta, you can see a massive selection of local fruits and vegetables. Pasar Induk Kramat Jati has a wide selection of fresh vegetables, fruits, herbs and spices. It is open 24 hours a day due to the continuous shipments being made.
Due to its location in southern Jakarta, it receives very few foreign visitors. This fact makes a visit to Pasar Induk Kramat Jati an authentic experience for visitors who are willing to visit very local, ‘non-touristy’ attractions.
Pasar Induk Kramat Jati is so massive that it seems to continue on forever, and ever.
You could easily spend a few hours here walking around checking out what the locals are selling. The selection of fruits and vegetables is very impressive. As you walk through the market you will pass large produce that workers are transferring into boxes for shipments to other markets and grocery stores throughout Jakarta.
Similar to other produce markets in Jakarta, don’t expect Pasar Induk Kramat Jati to be the cleanest place in the city.
But it is surprisingly organized.
As you walk through Pasar Induk Kramat Jati it is obvious that locals manage a specific section of floor space. In other words, some market employees might only deal with pineapples whereas other might only work with dragon fruit. After the boxes are packed and weighed, eventually they get moved to the edges of the market and later placed on trucks for shipment.
Pasar Induk Kramat Jati is best described as a wholesale market.
Pasar Induk Kramat Jati is a wholesale market. Typically, you want to purchase at least 5 kg of a specific fruit or vegetable when you are there.
Prices at Pasar Induk Kramat Jati are very cheap in comparison to grocery stores and most roadside stalls throughout Jakarta.
Buying produce might be only a secondary reason for visitors to visit Pasar Induk Kramat Jati. An hour walk throughout the market is an excellent cultural lesson. The market is so large that it is like a mini city, or an ecosystem of its own.
Pasar Induk Kramat Jati is a very, very interesting place to visit in Jakarta if you aren’t afraid of getting a bit dirty when you travel.
Frontier travelers will love the authentic feel of the market – far removed from excessive tourism.
There are hundreds of Indonesian workers throughout the market. Some will be sleeping or resting in tiny spaces whereas others will be loading large produce boxes onto trucks for delivery.
As you walk through Pasar Induk Kramat Jati you always have to be aware of your surroundings because workers can sneak up on you as they push or pull large carts stacked with produce boxes.
You can even find the odd vendor selling sim cards and memory cards at Pasar Induk Kramat Jati. In other words, there are so many people that work there that tiny secondary businesses have been set up to service the market employees.
Pasar Induk Kramat Jati is not a tourist magnet by any means.
Instead, it’s very obvious that very few foreign tourists have ever visited there before. This is what makes it a rewarding experience if you are not from Indonesia. Some of the locals will surely ask you for a picture to be taken with them, or someone will approach you and try to chat in broken English.
The workers are quite fascinated by the presence of foreigners, in a good way.
