Indonesia’s ‘dirty noodles’ are getting popular for being healthier than instant mee. But raising production isn’t so easy

The two dozen workers in the factory, located in Bantul regency of Indonesia’s Yogyakarta province, use production techniques that have existed for thousands of years.

The only sign of modernity are several hydraulic presses which turn the dough into noodles. These modern machines are safer than the factory’s manual press of the past, said factory owner Yasir Feri Ismatrada, 49. 

Before the old press was retired a few years ago, workers had to jump and hold on to its lever, using their weight to compress the dough inside. When the wooden lever became slippery, workers often fell and sprained their ankles or hit their head on the hard factory floor.