SLEMAN - UPN “Veteran” Yogyakarta (UPNVY) students have successfully developed wedhang (a drink) based on the extract of the Salak Pondoh, the product is named Wedhang Susu Zalacca Bubble which will later compete with 14 other funding teams in the Student Creativity Program (PKM) organized by Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia.

Ardiansyah Sanjaya (Agrotechnology 2017) accompanied by Qurrotul Uyun (Agrotechnology 2017), Annis Muthia Arifani (Agribusiness 2017) and Nur Prangawayu (Industrial Engineering 2018) are four students who succeeded in developing the product. The team that successfully combined the science of Industrial Engineering, Agrotechnology and Agribusiness to produce Wedhang Susu Zalacca Bubble was directly guided by the lecturer of the Agribusiness Study Program, Heni Handri Utami, SP., MM.

This product does not present to compete with MSMEs, but to collaborate and develop together which will have an impact on improving people's welfare. This is done by making MSME which processes zalacca as business partners, both in terms of raw materials and untapped waste such as zalacca seeds.

The zalacca used is the kind of Salak Pondoh. Apart from being famous and being a native variety of zalacca from Sleman, many people like this type of zalacca.

The Head of the Agricultural Quarantine Agency of the Ministry of Agriculture (Barantan Kementan), Banun Harpini, in Kompas.com (24/3/2017) stated that Salak Pondoh is preferred because of its sweet taste, crispy texture, and delicious aroma.

Based on data from the Central Bureau of Statistics in 2016, Turi is a sub-district in Sleman Regency which has the highest Salak Pondoh production. Although the production of zalacca has increased, this is not comparable to the minimal use of zalacca waste, because the consumption is concentrated only on zalacca meat, leaving the peel and seeds as production waste, even though they have benefits that are not inferior to the meat. The results of the phytochemical test proved that the bark contains flavonoids, tannins and a few alkaloids, so that the peel is antidiabetic due to the presence of these compounds.

"I previously did not like wedhang because of its spicy ginger flavour and strong aroma which is so thick, but having this drink, I believe that anyone young people will turn to like it", said Nur Prangawayu, a member of the Zalacca PKM-K UPNVY Team and also a student of Industrial Engineering Study Program, Faculty of Industrial Engineering, UPNVY.

He also added that Wedhang Susu Zalacca Bubble was presented not only to utilize zalacca peel waste, but also to increase consumption of wedhang and salak among millennials. The peel is extracted and processed into a modern bubble, plus flavour and ginger.

Until now, the Zalacca PKM-K UPNVY team has developed various flavours and compositions, such as taro, strawberry and brown sugar with a choice of original milk or low-fat skim milk, and will continue to grow in the future.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic is still uncertain when it will end, Ardiansyah Sanjaya and the team believe that the Student Creativity Program will not only bring economic benefits, but also social benefits for the community