UNNES Culinary Education Department Showcases Local Food Innovations at Hetero Fest 2026

SEMARANG — The Culinary Arts Education Study Program, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Negeri Semarang (UNNES), presented five innovative local food products at Hetero Fest Semarang 2026, held from October 31 to November 1, 2026, at the historic Oudetrap Building in Kota Lama, Semarang. The initiative aimed to promote the rich potential of Indonesian indigenous food commodities to the public.

During the two-day event, UNNES students and faculty displayed contemporary culinary creations featuring traditional ingredients. The featured product line included sorghum-red bean cookies, moringa leaf dim sum served with mentai sauce using canna starch (tepung ganyong), mung bean sesame balls (onde-onde ketawa), purple sweet potato soft cookies, and seasoned fried shallots.

To broaden their outreach, students complemented the exhibition stand with direct community engagement. Teams traversed the historic Kota Lama district to offer product samples while educating visitors and tourists on the nutritional benefits and culinary potential of native crops like sorghum, canna tuber, and moringa leaves.

The project aligns directly with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically supporting SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) by promoting dietary diversification through alternative local food sources. Furthermore, it advances SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) by advocating for sustainable food production models rooted in locally harvested resources.

Through this initiative, UNNES reinforces the vital role of higher education in converting traditional agricultural yields into high-value culinary products while contributing to national food security efforts.