Rengginang has been documented in the Serat Centhini, a Javanese literary work from the 18th century, and is widely known across Indonesia, particularly on the island of Java. According to various sources, rengginang is believed to have originated from West Java and Banten.
The story goes that rengginang was created by accident. Initially, someone cooked glutinous rice intending to make tape (fermented rice). However, due to the lack of yeast, the cooked glutinous rice was instead shaped into round, flat pieces, sun-dried, and later fried. Once fried, rengginang developed a crispy texture and savory taste, making it a popular snack.
In addition to the original flavor, rengginang can be made in various flavors depending on regional preferences. Some variations include rengginang lorjuk (a type of clam), shrimp paste rengginang, garlic rengginang, sweet rengginang, and many more.
In Ponorogo, the demand for rengginang is not particularly high on regular days, with producers typically using around 30–50 kg of glutinous rice per day. However, as Eid approaches, daily production can exceed 100 kg. Due to the significant increase in demand, customers often have to place orders in advance to secure their supply of rengginang.