Beronok (Meranti sea cucumber), a Meranti ethnic food culture in Indonesia

Abstract

Meranti, whose capital is Selatpanjang, is one of the island areas surrounded by large rivers and is directly adjacent to the sea, which means the water is salty. Meranti is designated as a national food security development area because it generates biological wealth in western Indonesia, where beronok (meranti sea cucumber) is commonly served as a side dish to various dishes. This article investigated Indonesia's meranti ethnic food culture, specifically beronok, typically consumed raw or processed. Data of this research are about beronok as a tradisional food processed by the Meranti community made into a variety of food such as mpek-mpek, nuggets, meatbals, sausages and soups by using some steps of cooking and seasonings. The results of this investigation show that Beronok is one of the seafood and traditional food products that have the potential to generate additional valuable resources and generate a sustainable income for the community. Beronok is typically consumed raw, but is generally processed into wet foods such as 'mpek-mpek', 'nugget', 'bakso', 'sosis' and 'sup' or dried processed foods to be reused as flour. The research also showed that the Meranti people maintained their traditional food culture called “beronok” from the past to the present by utilizing their surrounding natural resources.