News
The Rendang Center: A New Culinary Tourism Icon for Padang
WINDONESIA May 15, 2024
Padang Mayor Hendri Septa at the Rendang Center. (Sumbarsatu).
The construction of the Rendang Center in Lubuk Buaya Subdistrict, Koto Tangah District, Padang City, is now complete. The Rendang Center was initiated by the Padang City Government as a new culinary tourism icon since 2022.
With the completion of the Rendang Center, Mayor Hendri Septa has urged locals to optimize its use as a production site, marketing hub, and training center for rendang, a locally and internationally famous traditional Minangkabau dish, for small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
"To keep it vibrant, we need to hold regular events and festivals at the Rendang Center to increase its prominence. Rendang festivals with various rendang-related activities will attract both locals and tourists, making the Rendang Center a new culinary icon in West Sumatra, particularly in Padang," said Padang Mayor Hendri Septa said in an interview with Sumbarsatu at the Rendang Center in Lubuk Buaya on May 12, 2024.
"For instance, cooking classes, culinary arts events, educational and historical culinary literacy sessions, and rendang cooking competitions for students and the youth. Many activities can be carried out here," Hendri, who will end his term in May 2024, added.
Padang City Manpower and Industry Office Head Ferri Erviyan stated that the Rendang Center provides facilities such as production and promotion buildings, office buildings/UPTD, and utility buildings.
"The Rendang Center is designed for rendang business operators in Padang to develop their businesses," Ferri added.
Built on a 5,112 square meters (m²) plot with funding from the Industry Ministry's Special Allocation Fund (DAK) that was disbursed in 2021, its landscape was completed with Padang's local government budget. The construction took seven months and costed Rp24 billion.
The Rendang Center aims to empower and increase production for the 86 rendang small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Padang by enhancing the quality of and production capacity for rendang.
The center features three main blocks, namely Block I for rendang production, Block II for product sales and promotion, and Block III for office space. It also serves as a research, development, and learning hub for rendang, especially for youths.
The use of modern production technology at the Rendang Center ensures standard rendang production following Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) as advised by Food and Drugs Monitoring Agency (BPOM)'s technical experts.
Additionally, the Rendang Center has Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCPC) certification, BPOM RI MD distribution permit, and halal certification. It has advanced packaging technology with a 'retort' sterilization machine that can preserve rendang for up to two years.
"With good packaging, we hope the Rendang Center's production can reach export markets," Hendri said.
Source: sumbarsatu.com
