Klepon, also known as Onde-onde or Buah Melaka, is a traditional Southeast Asian confection made from glutinous rice flour filled with palm sugar and coated in grated coconut. Typically green in colour due to the use of pandan or suji leaf extract, the dough balls are boiled until the centre melts, producing a burst of sweetness when eaten. The confection is widely consumed in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore, where it is commonly sold in traditional markets and classified as kue or kuih, terms for local confections often prepared for ceremonial or festive occasions. In Thailand, a similar preparation is referred to as khanom tom.

The traditional sweet holds cultural significance across various communities in Maritime Southeast Asia. In Bugis-Makassar and Balinese traditions, it features in ritual offerings and thanksgiving ceremonies. Among Malay and Banjar communities, it is commonly served during festive periods such as Ramadan. In Javanese culture, the delicacy carries symbolic meanings associated with inner virtue and the cycle of life. It also appears in ceremonial and matrimonial customs among the Minangkabau and Peranakan Chinese.

Contemporary versions have emerged in response to changing tastes and culinary innovation. Variations may include dough made with sweet potato or yam, and alternative fillings such as chocolate, red bean paste, cheese or salted egg yolk. The traditional flavour combination of pandan, palm sugar and coconut has also inspired a range of modern desserts and beverages, including cakes, ice cream and instant coffee.

The origin of this traditional sweet is not clearly documented, and there is no definitive evidence identifying where or when the dish was first created. It is commonly found across many parts of maritime Southeast Asia, including Sumatra, Java, the Malay Peninsula, Borneo and Sulawesi. Its widespread presence suggests that it emerged as part of a shared regional culinary heritage, rather than being tied to a single ethnic or geographic origin.

The earliest known written reference to related confections appears in "A Comparative Vocabulary of the Barmá, Maláya and Thái Languages", compiled by Scottish orientalist John Leyden in 1810. In this work, Leyden recorded the terms onde-onde (entry no. 2210) and buah melaka (entry no. 2233) as Malay sweetmeats, written in Jawi script, demonstrating the presence of these sweets in Malay culinary traditions of the period.

A few years later, in 1814, klepon is mentioned in Serat Centhini, a Javanese literary manuscript from the Surakarta court. Although this reference indicates the presence of klepon in Javanese culinary practice at the time, food historian Fadly Rahman of Universitas Padjadjaran notes that it does not necessarily imply that the dish originated in Surakarta or is uniquely Javanese.

Rahman further explains that similar confections are widely known across Indonesia, including in Bali, Sulawesi and Sumatra, and have become part of local cuisines in neighbouring countries such as Malaysia and Singapore. This widespread familiarity reflects a shared culinary heritage throughout the region, shaped by long-standing cultural interactions and common staple ingredients.

Culinary observer Ary Budiyanto of Universitas Brawijaya supports this perspective, emphasising that while klepon is often identified as a traditional Javanese snack, its deep-rooted presence across the Indonesian archipelago and broader Southeast Asia makes it difficult to assign to any single ethnic or regional origin.