Mothers in Cilacap compete to cook tasty eels for the students

Taking the momentum of National Fish Day and World Food Day, – MAAF – FAO - GEF joint project “IFish” —and the Government of Cilacap, introduced the by-product of grilled sidat (eel) production as an alternative nutrition and income.

The activity, which was held on November 1 and 2, 2022, in Kaliwungu and Bulaksari carried the slogan “No Eel Is Wasted” and was attended by women, mostly mothers, Integrated Healthcare Center (posyandu) officer, eel cultivators, and school-age children.

Although Indonesia is one of the exporters of eel to Japan, domestic consumption is still very limited. Eel delicacies are still rarely found in restaurants in Cilacap District, one of the eels’ leading exporters in Indonesia. Premium price is one of the obstacles, especially for cultivated eels which have a softer texture and a lot of meat. Not to mention, some types of eels (Anguilla sp) are under a limited protection status so that their capture must comply with existing regulations.

In response to this limitation, the IFish project together with partners and culinary enthusiasts developed several recipes suitable for local palate from the by-products of grilled eel production in the Kampung Sidat Kaliwungu. About 700 kg of food grade by-products are resulted from two tons of eel processed into unagi kabayaki. The by-products of the eel are liver, bones, belly meat, head, and fins of the eel.

These by-products are not garbage, because in Japan itself these dishes are very popular. Several high-end Japanese restaurants in Indonesia have also sold liver satay and eel bone crackers. But generally, the by-products are still not utilized and usually thrown away by the cultivators.

“After years of assistance for sustainable eel fisheries practices in Cilacap, the project has started to encourage the community—especially women—around the Kampung Sidat Kaliwungu to process the by-products of grilled eel production,” said Muhammad Yusuf from IFish project. "We hope delectable menus made from of the by-products can make eel nutrition more affordable and can be used as an alternative income for women".

Tasty Sidat Liver and Bones

Mothers and posyandu officers participated in the first day of activities in Kaliwungu. Four recipes made from liver, bones, fins, and heads developed by culinary experts were demonstrated to the participants. All recipes are practical and can be cooked with simple equipment.

“We developed by-products into broth, chips, and sambal goreng because they are easy to process with simple basic ingredients. This concept is also in line with the principle of zero waste cooking, where all parts of the eel's body can be utilized as a source of nutrition," explained Arifien Windarman, one of the culinary experts demonstrating the recipes at the event.

According to the FAO report, Indonesia is the second largest producer of food waste in the world. Only behind Saudi Arabia, Indonesia's food chain contributes to 1.3 million tons of food loss and food waste annually. If taken on average, one person in Indonesia produces food waste of 115 – 184 kg per year.

The dish from the by-product of the grilled eel production was then exhibited and served at the event on November 2 in Bulaksari. Apart from the delicacies made from the by-products, participants, especially children, were also introduced to sustainable eel fisheries, the importance of freshwater ecosystems, and efforts to minimize food waste through storytelling, comics, and various interactive activities.

Teti Rohatiningsih, the wife of the Regent of Cilacap expressed her appreciation during her opening speech. “Cooking demonstration and competition using the affordable grilled eel by-products will encourage women to cook sidat and support Gemarikan campaign. Then today's activities, storytelling and coloring competitions with the theme of sidat, will inspire younger generation to learn about Cilacap's natural resource and fisheries potential."

In line with the theme of World Food Day 2022

“Leave no one behind: better production, better nutrition, better environment and a better life” is the theme of World Food Day in 2022. The theme raises challenges facing the world related to food security caused by conflict, economic crisis, climate change, environmental quality degradation, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In similar vein, all "No Eel Are Wasted" activities were crafted to promote better production efforts through sustainable eel fisheries practices, better nutrition through delicacies made from eel by-products, better environmental understanding for school students, and a better life for the women of Cilacap via income generated by from eel by-products delicacies.

About FAO-IFish project

IFISH is a collaboration between FAO and the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries to mainstream conservation value of inland aquatic biodiversity, and sustainable inland fisheries practices in freshwater ecosystems of high conservation value. These efforts are made to ensure the availability of environmental goods and services, especially for the lives of people who depend on freshwater ecosystems. Inland water fisheries are generally carried out by small-scale industries, by communities along watersheds.

The IFish project, supported by the Global Environment Facility, is one of the largest inland fisheries projects in Indonesia.