Diversification of rendang daun kayu: Strengthening the food security of the Minangkabau community

Abstract

Rendang is one of the traditional Minangkabau culinary preparations of West Sumatra, Indonesia, that has gone global. Rendang sometimes uses meat, but some use plants as the main ingredient. Weak economic conditions and the high price of meat in the market do not become an excuse for Minangkabau people not to eat rendang because rendang culinary can be processed with vegetable-based ingredients. In Nagari Harau, Lima Puluh Kota Regency, West Sumatra, wood leaves from wild plants can be processed into a very delicious rendang culinary. They call it “rendang daun kayu.” Diversification of rendang daun kayu can be an exciting effort to improve the food security of the Minangkabau people. Thus, this article will discuss efforts to diversify rendang daun kayu as a strategy to strengthen the food security of the Minangkabau community. The qualitative descriptive method was used in this research. Primary data, secondary data, interview guidelines, and in-depth interview activities supported data collection. Informants were selected using snowball sampling. Source triangulation analysis was used to answer the research objectives. Based on the research results, it is known that the diversification of rendang daun kayu is the development of rendang culinary dishes using locally available wood leaf raw materials. Diversification of rendang daun kayu is an innovative step towards more robust food security for the Minangkabau people. Diversifying rendang daun kayu is expected to create food security for the Minangkabau community.