JAKARTA – A local food innovation from Aceh has succeeded in stealing the world’s attention. Tanah Rencong’s traditional cake, Bhoi Morica, won three prestigious awards at the Korea International Women’s Convention Exposition (KIWE) 2025.
This cake is not just an ordinary culinary delight but a smart solution to health problems, such as deworming and stunting infections which are still problems in many parts of Indonesia, including Aceh.
This product is the result of collaboration of Syiah Kuala University (USK) students who combine traditional wealth with high nutritional value. Bhoi Morica’s cake is made from kelor leaves and papaya seeds, two natural ingredients that are easy to find but have extraordinary health benefits.
“We develop Broi Morica as a functional food that can help treat worm infection while at the same time supporting stunting prevention, especially for toddlers and pregnant women,” said Nelli Desianti, Team Chair and USK FKIP Economic Education student, when met in Banda Aceh.
In developing this product, Nelli worked with two other colleagues: Sarah Salsabil (Prodi Biological, FMIPA) and Putri Salsabila Rinaldi (Prodi Statika, FMIPA), under the guidance of lecturer A. Abdul Razak.
He explained that the background of this innovation departed from the high stunting rate and worm infection in Aceh, as well as the low consumption of nutritious food among vulnerable communities. The team also chose Bhoi cakes because apart from being popular locally, this cake is easy to mix with nutrient-rich functional materials.
We chose the kelor leaves because the vitamin content is very high, such as vitamins A, calcium, iron, and also natural antioxidants, “explained Sarah. Meanwhile, papaya seeds that are used as flour are known to have antelmintic or wormguide properties, and are able to increase body resistance.
The combination of these two ingredients produces cakes that are not only delicious, but also have a double health function: prevent malnutrition and naturally treat worm infection. This product is expected to be an alternative to healthy food in areas with high stunting prevalence.
For this innovation, the Bhoi Morica team won three awards at the KIWE 2025 event, namely the Silver Medal, Special Award, and Special Prize. This competition was attended by more than 700 discoveries from various countries and international institutions, including from South Korea, Europe, and Southeast Asia.
KIWIE is a forum for encouraging women’s creativity in creating innovative solutions, as well as opening up opportunities for expansion into the global market,” said Nelli. He hopes that innovations like Bhoi Morica can be an inspiration to raise local culinary wealth as a health solution and community economic empowerment.
Furthermore, Nelli expressed her team’s hope that this product could be developed widely, not only as a nutritious snack, but also as a community effort. “We want Bhoi Morica to be produced on a household scale and help improve the welfare of the Acehnese people,” he concluded.
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