Abstract
Indonesia’s high dependency on rice makes the country prone to food insecurity. To improve food security, the government of Indonesia started a food diversification program in 1974. However, no significant results have yet been achieved, and rice consumption is still high. A possible explanation is that there is still no suitable “vehicle” in which to deliver diverse local carbohydrate sources in an acceptable form that mimics rice. An appropriate vehicle should be widely acceptable, not require changes to local dietary habits or cooking techniques, fit into Indonesian cuisine, and be makeable from a wide range of sources. “Rice analog” (RA) meets the criteria and could be developed as a food diversification vehicle. It offers a novel way of turning diverse local carbohydrate sources into a new staple food, but comprehensive research is required for its successful development. Upstream activities include crop development and cultivation. Downstream activities include process optimization, machinery design, and developing RA with specific functional properties, such as low glycemic index, high fiber content with hypocholesterolemic activity, and chemo-preventive activity. These functional properties can be used to promote RA. We hope to switch Indonesian perceptions so that paddy rice is not seen as the only staple food, and so that consuming non-rice staples will not lower social status. The establishment of a new paradigm will encourage people to consume more diverse carbohydrate sources, not only in the form of RA, but also as other foods.
