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View all search resultsMeet ‘kimpul’, Indonesia’s forgotten tuber gone viral
As global food trends sweep social media, creators are giving new life to the once-overlooked local ingredient.
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Humble tuber: Fresh cocoyam, known as 'kimpul' or Belitung taro in Indonesia, is seen in this photo. Long eaten as a local carbohydrate and rice alternative, 'kimpul' is low in fat and has a low glycemic index, while also containing dietary fiber, resistant starch, minerals, vitamin B3 and bioactive compounds. (Shutterstock/Nunung Noor Aisyah )
W
henever a viral food trend takes over social media, from Dubai chewy cookies and Melbourne’s Mont Blanc coffee now storming the local internet to cheesecake and the never-ending matcha craze, one thing stands out: none of these rely purely on ingredients native to Indonesia.
More recently, however, food influencers and cafes have started promoting local ingredients through modern creations, giving them a chance to ride the same wave.
Suratini, 47, who goes by Tin, went viral on Instagram when she swapped conventional ingredients for kimpul (Xanthosoma sagittifolium), earning her the moniker “Ibu Kimpul” across platforms.
She uses her now-viral catchphrase, “Karena tidak punya, maka saya ganti kimpul (Because I don’t have it, I replaced it with cocoyam)”, to introduce a dish she has made with the tuber, whether a drink with boba pearls or a cream soup.
But kimpul, also known as Belitung taro, is hardly a new discovery. The tuber has long been consumed locally as a source of carbohydrates and an alternative to rice.
Evy Damayanthi, a nutrition lecturer at IPB University, says kimpul is low in fat and has a low glycemic index, according to National Geographic Indonesia. It also contains dietary fiber, resistant starch, minerals, vitamin B3 and bioactive compounds.
The same article notes that the tuber is still cultivated in several parts of the country, including Semarang and Klaten in Central Java, particularly around the slopes of Mount Merapi, and parts of Sumatra and West Nusa Tenggara.
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