Acehnese Traditional Food: The Potency of Community

Economic Development in Lhokseumawe - Indonesia

Suadi Zainal

, Zurriyati A. Jalil

, and Lia Safrina

Department of Sociology, Malikussaleh University, Lhokseumawe, Indonesia

Department of Islamic Education Management, The State Institute of Islamic Religion,

Lhokseumawe, Indonesia

Department of Islamic Economics Al-Wasliyah Islamic High School, Banda Aceh, Indonesia

Abstract. Traditional food is a form of community culture that manifests its

natural resources. It has various values; biological, economic, and social value.

This study aims to analyze the potency of community economic development

through traditional food based on public consumption. This research was

conducted using a mixed-method approach through descriptive analysis. The

informants were producers, sellers, and consumers of traditional Acehnese foods,

which determined by a snowball. Researchers distributed questionnaires to 30

respondents who live in three districts, namely Banda Sakti, Muara Satu, and

Muara Dua. The results showed that Bhoi and Seupet cakes are the most popular

cakes consumed by people in Lhokseumawe. Therefore, the study highlights that

these traditional cakes have the good economic potential to be developed.

Keywords: Traditional food ꞏ Ingredients ꞏ Cakes ꞏ Economy

1 Introduction

Traditional food is a form of community culture, which has not only nutritional value

but also has social value, even economic value. Generally, the essential ingredients of

traditional food come from natural resources owned by an area where it made and

developed. Therefore, traditional foods differ from one region to another. Even if there

is a common name, the image tastes different due to different ingredients and seasoning

concoctions. Such differences are by the ingredients, experience, and culture of each

region [1]. For example, curry goats from Aceh Besar, Aceh Pidie-Pidie Jaya, and Aceh

Utara-Lhokseumawe are different colors and tastes. Such differences also apply to

traditional pastry foods, such as Kue Adee or Bingkang. This traditional food has a high

economic value in Pidie Jaya because it is already known as a souvenir for visitors from

outside the region and province. Even though such likely cakes can also be found in

coffee shops and shops in other districts, such as North Aceh and Lhokseumawe City,

they are called bingkang.

The difference in taste and food names from each region can be used as an economic

opportunity to empower the community's economy. Besides, Lhokseumawe City is one

of the cities which is very strategically located to develop its exceptional food as a

souvenir for visitors or passersby, because it is located in the middle of the East-West

cross of the Banda Aceh-Medan road. This situation is possible in Lhokseumawe City

Zainal, S., Jalil, Z. and Safrina, L.

Acehnese Traditional Food: The Potency of Community Economic Development in Lhokseumawe - Indonesia.

DOI: 10.5220/0009839700002900

In Proceedings of the 20th Malaysia Indonesia International Conference on Economics, Management and Accounting (MIICEMA 2019), pages 153-160

ISBN: 978-989-758-582-1; ISSN: 2655-9064

153

as one of Aceh's traditional food promoters. However, until now, the City of

Lhokseumawe has not identified its specialty cakes that can be used as a source of the

economic community, such as Adee in Pidie Jaya and Tapee Ubi in Aceh Besar. Even

many traditional Acehnese cakes scattered installs, supermarkets, and minimarkets in

the area of Lhokseumawe City come from North Aceh. For example "SOMPRONG"

cake, and "BANGKET" cake.

This happened undoubtedly not because Lhokseumawe City did not have its special

cake food. However, there were no efforts or actions that could encourage the

development of traditional Lhokseumawe City as a very potential source for

community economic empowerment. According to Febrina [2] community economic

empowerment is strengthening ownership of the factors of production, distribution and

marketing mastery, the community to get an adequate salary or wage, and strengthening

the community to obtain information, knowledge, and skills. These must be carried out

in multiple aspects, both from the aspect of the community itself, and aspects of the

policy. Furthermore, Susanti [3] states that community empowerment can be done

through five development strategies, namely, human resource development, group

institutional development, Fostering public (private) capital, developing productive

businesses, and providing appropriate information.

However, operationally, the economic empowerment of the community cannot be

formulated in general. But it must be adapted to the characteristics of local problems

because each region has its own culture, including traditional cakes, which reflect the

social environment and its natural environment as a regional resource. Economists and

agricultural scientists still dominate studies on the economic development of natural

resources, and the emphasis is on natural productivity and marketing. They pay less

attention to the processing of natural resources as Aceh's traditional food, which has

the potential economic value. For this reason, research is considered necessary,

considering the lack of scientific studies of traditional Acehnese traditional foods in

various districts/cities that see the potential for economic value to be developed as a

source of economic income for the local community. This research conducted by a

mixed-method involving 30 informants. The data was obtained through in-depth

interviews, observations, and questionnaires. Then the data were analyzed descriptively

using an interactive model. The results showed that the bhoi and pulot cakes were the

most popular cakes by the people of Lhokseumawe City.

2 Literature Review

Traditional food is one of the cultural assets of a community's heritage, which has

characteristics, both taste and appearance. Sastroamidjojo [4] states traditional food is

food that is available in one particular community and consumed since several

derivatives, according to their tastes, do not conflict with religious beliefs and are

formulated from food ingredients and spices available in that community. The

characteristics are (1) The recipe obtained from generation to generation; (2) Processing

using specific traditional tools; (3) The processing technique is also carried out to obtain

a distinctive taste and appearance.

Furthermore, Nurhayati et al. [5] states the characteristics of traditional foods are;

(1) Processed based on recipes or herbs that have been known and applied for

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generations in the community; (2) Raw materials are available in the local area; and (3)

The processing method is carried out specifically according to the methods that have

been developed. The main ingredients most widely used in its manufacture are cassava,

rice flour, and sticky rice. The processing method categorized into four ways, namely:

(1) steamed, (2) fried, (3) burned, and (4) boiled. Traditional foods can be developed

with; (a) identification and inventory of traditional foods; (b) compiling traditional food

profiles; (c) facilitation to foodservice associations such as restaurants, hotels,

universities and the public in the dissemination of information, outreach, and

promotion; (d) training for extension workers and program assistants; (e) encourage the

development of traditional food centers; and (f) providing soft loans.

In consuming it, every person certainly has their own choices that are influenced by

various factors. According to Marwanti [6], a person chooses certain foods to be

influenced by the community environment, family environment, and self-drive.

Traditional food has the meaning of daily folk food, both in the form of staple foods,

distractions, or unique dishes that have existed for generations from the days of our

ancestors. Furthermore, according to Geurts et al. [7], the determinants of one's choice

of food consumption are the individual, social environment, physical environment, and

the macro-level environment. At the individual level, habits are essential determinants

of choices, whereas rational conscious choices only explain a small portion of

consumers based on self-efficacy or perceived behavioral control. Therefore, social

models and parenting styles seem to change children's eating behavior. Meanwhile, in

the physical environment, food availability greatly influences food consumption.

Furthermore, all these determinants act in the context of the macro environment, where

food pricing and policies play an essential role.

Traditional foods are not only beneficial for the fulfillment of nutrition but can also

be used as a source of income for local people. According to Meter [8], local food can

be the best way to promote community economic development, because:

1. Everyone eats every day, so everyone can contribute to economic development.

Local food can also build new social connections and new skills.

2. Local food can create livelihoods for those who already live in the community,

and people will form stronger loyalty to the region by working together to build

a local food business.

3. The local food trade will stem the flow of dollars from your area. People who

know where their food comes from will eat more carefully.

4. The local food company group will recycle more money through the location of

the food produced. As local companies trade with each other, they create a

stream of dollars that will save money at home.

Next, what needs to be done is a coalition of community food security and local

food. Thus, the presence of local food can meet several needs at once. Regions will

build healthier agriculture, wider kitchens, and stronger processing factories,

warehouses, distribution centers, brokers, and retail food stores, and more reliable food

supplies if the people prioritize local eating food.

The same thing was said by Alteza [9] that the diversity of traditional food is a

potential gold mine because it has strategic values for empower

ing the people's

economy, reducing poverty and unemployment, exploiting natural resources, and

preserving the nation's culture. According to Sariyanti [10], traditional cake traders in

Makassar can produce an economy to meet their daily needs, including being able to

Acehnese Traditional Food: The Potency of Community Economic Development in Lhokseumawe - Indonesia

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buy some of the amenities of their household, even they can send their children to the

university level. More than that, they also have savings in banks and gold deposits.

Correspondingly, Lazuardi, and Triady [11] stated that culinary contributes 33% to the

total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Creative Industries. This value is the biggest

compared to other subsector contributions. In addition, culinary products contributed

to the third-largest export value of the creative industry, which was 9.93% after the

fashion industry and the handicraft industry. For culinary workers, it can absorb the

second largest workforce after a fashion, which is around 3.7 million workers or

contribute up to 31.48% of the total workforce in the creative industries. This is

following the opinion of Martati, et al. [12] state that the leading productive economic

endeavors that have an excellent opportunity to open employment are trade, home

industry, services, and agriculture sectors. Most home industry businesses are food,

such as the tofu-tempeh industry, various shrimp and fish chips/crackers, soy milk,

herbal medicine, and cookies. The results of studies in Ukraine also show that the food

industry seems to be a leader in terms of the number of brands on the market [13].

Based on the description, it can be said that traditional food or also known as local

cuisine, besides functioning as a fulfillment of nutritional intake and preservation of

culture, it is also very potential for the economic development of a region. However,

there is not yet one research that maps the economic potential of traditional food in

Lhokseumawe City, and there is not yet one document from the Regional Government

that describes the economic potential of traditional food in Lhokseumawe City. This is

different from other regions, for example Aceh Barat Daya, explaining that the types of

food industries that are superior are black chips, raft chips, regular sweet potato chips,

spicy-sweet potatoes, spinach chips, Tempe chips, onion cakes, onion rengginang,

peanut braids, peanut peeks, peanut peeler yellow, nutmeg cakes and nutmeg syrup

(Office of Investment and One Stop Integrated Services, 2017).

3 Research Methods

This study used a combined qualitative and quantitative approach with descriptive

analysis methods. The research subjects were food makers, sellers and

buyers/connoisseurs of traditional specialties in Muara Dua District, Lhokseumawe.

The informants were determined by a snowball. To obtain authentic data, researchers

used three types of data collection methods, namely:

1. Non-participatory observation, in which researchers observed directly the

symptoms, events, or conversations caused by the subject without involving the

researcher in their activities.

2. Depth-Interview, researchers interviewed 30 informants, by openly and

structuring questions through questionnaires.

3. Study of documents, researchers collect books, journals, and pictures related to

research.

Furthermore, the data obtained were analyzed using an interactive model, which phasse

as follows:

a. Data reduction, the data was reduced, summarized, selected main cases

focused on matters relating to the study problem.

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b. Presentation of data, the data was presented in tabular form to facilitate

obtaining an overview of the answers to the research problem.

c. Conclusion and verification, the data was systematically arranged to

interprete, to find the meaning of the data, and then concluded it.

4 Level of Consumption of Acehnese Traditional Cakes and

Economic Potency in Lhokseumawe City

Acehnese traditional cakes can be categorized into two types, namely cookies and wet

cakes. Therefore, an explanation of the level of public consumption is presented based

on these two types, which are seen in the perspective of producers/traders and

consumers. The types of wet cakes that still exist in the city of Lhokseumawe are dodol,

wajek, meuseukat, timpan baloen, timphan, rhom-rhom boh, bu silee lukat, pulot, lapeh

cake, apam u, pancong cake, adee, and halwa. While dry cake are bhoi, kipang kacang,

ukheu u, bu gring, kueh bangket, boh usen, bada reuteuk, nyap, keukarah, and kueh

seupet.

Wet cakes are usually sold as breakfast at coffee shops and in places selling morning

snacks and at markets. The cake is made every day because it does not stand along.

According to sellers and producers, the highest level of consumption of wet cakes is

pulot. As shown in the following table.

Table 1. Wet Traditional Cakes and Community Consumption Rate.

No Wet Cakes Consumption Rate (%)

1 Dodol 30

2 Wajek 30

3 Meuseukat 30

4 Ruti Jala 45

5 Timphan Baloen 50

6 Timphan 50

7 Boh Rhom-Rhom 45

8 Bu Lukat Silee 25

9 Pulot 65

10 Kue Lapeh 55

11 Apam U 20

12 Kue Pancong 50

13 Adee 50

14 Halwa 20

Seen from the percentage above that pulot cake, kueh lapeh, timphan, timphan

baloen, kueh pancong, and adee have the highest level of public consumption. This

shows that the cakes are the favorite public cakes. They are not included high prices of

processed products, but rather simple and relatively simple cakes. The example is pulot;

Acehnese Traditional Food: The Potency of Community Economic Development in Lhokseumawe - Indonesia

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it is made from sticky rice, which is kneaded coconut milk and burned. However, this

cake enthusiasts more than other cakes that are equal to 65%.

Unlike the case with wet cakes, pastries have a dry and durable texture; pastries can

be made once a week or even a month in stock, which is why pastries are more widely

distributed in the home market, mini markets, and supermarkets in Lhokseumawe. The

following is a table of consumption levels for traditional Acehnese cookies in

Lhokseumawe City.

Tabel 2. Dry Traditional Cakes and Community Consumption Rate.

No Dry Cakes Consuption Rate (%)

1 Bhoi 80

2 Keukarah 80

3 Bada Reuteuk 35

4 Boh Usen 20

5 Kue Bangket 25

6 Ukhee U 70

7 Kipang Kacang 50

8 Nyap 45

9 Bu Grieng 60

10 Kue Seupet 75

The table shows that many Acehnese cookies scattered in the city of Lhokseumawe

found that keukarah cakes, bhoi, kueh seupet, ukheu u, and bu grieng are the most

popular cakes for the community. These cakes are in high demand by people from

various backgrounds, both young, old, and children. This is because of sweet tastes and

durables. Besides, Bhoi and Keukarah are also used for social interaction during the

wedding party moment. Both cakes are often brought to the bride and groom's family

when they are delivered.

Referring to this percentage, it can be seen that traditional cakes, both wet and dry,

are high interest to the public whose taste and processing are simple. Whereas, they

taste sweet and delicious . Pulot and dodoi, for example, pulot manufacturing process

is much more comfortable and more straightforward than dodoi, as well as the

manufacturing process, dodoi is much more complicated the manufacturing process and

the manufacturing costs are also more expensive than pulot.

Furthermore, according to consumers, the highest consumption level of traditional

dry cakes is bhoi cakes by 26% and keukarah by 20%, kueh seupet and bu grieng 18%,

ukhee u for 16% and 15% for cake. Among the lowest levels of community

consumption of dried traditional cakes are kipang kacang by 5% and bada reuteuk by

6%. This shows that the level of consumption of traditional Acehnese food based on

the seller / producer and consumer point of view are the same. This means that bhoi

and keukarah have a high level of consumption for the community. In addition, pulot

is also a high consumption of snacks among the people.

Then, comparing to modern cakes, people prefer traditional cakes for their family

to consume. The reason is tasty, affordable, and natural and free of preservatives. This

shows that people still love the taste of their traditional cakes in the midst of the

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proliferation of modern cakes. This confirms that the people of Lhokseumawe City in

choosing food still consider health. According to them, traditional cakes are much more

guaranteed health because the ingredients used are natural ingredients without

preservatives.

This fact also explains that it can be that attractive packaging does not always affect

consumer choices, because in general traditional cakes are supported with very simple

plastic, or with banana leaves, but the cake has its own charm, namely taste and safety

for health. Thus, the results of the study indicate that opinions that so far have

considered packing as a way of attracting consumers' attention are less relevant.

Based on the consumption level, it was found that Acehnese traditional cakes that

have good economic potency are pulot, timphat, adee, pancong cakes, bhoi, keukarah,

and seupeet cakes. This potency is not only based on the consumption of local people

but also people outside Aceh. According to Zulkifli and Hayatul, Acehnese special

cakes are not only interested in the Acehnese people. They are used as dishes during

Aceh's wedding and adat events, but Acehnese traditional cakes are also in demand by

people outside Aceh. In fact, they often receive orders for cakes from abroad, which

are used as souvenirs from Aceh. Coupled with the sales turnover ranging from Rp

100,000 to Rp 1,000,000 per day. It depends on the number of cakes sold. Nevertheless,

according to them, the profits ranged from 20% to 30% of sales. This shows that

Acehnese traditional cake has excellent potential for the economic development of the

people in Lhokseumawe City.

5 Conclusion

In general, the Acehnese traditional food of the Lhokaseumawe City is almost the same

as typical cakes in other regencies on the East-West coast, which are dominated by

Acehnese ethnicity. While the level of public consumption of traditional food (cakes)

are bhoi and pulot cakes ranked first, followed by Kue Seupet, Nyap, and Keukarah.

Thus, these cakes have good potency for community economic development. Besides

that, the level of public consumption is also relatively stable and functional.

However, they do not become a souvenir for visitors to Lhokseumawe City. Thus,

it is expected that the Aceh Government, particularly the Lhokseumawe Municipal

Government, will empower businesses to develop Acehnese special cakes in

Lhokseumawe City by encouraging business operators to produce cakes that are

different in taste with other regions. In addition, the Government also needs to provide

a sales center that is centered around Jalan Medan-Banda Aceh, which is easily

accessible by visitors or visitors to Lhokseumawe City.

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