YOGYAKARTA – Five students of UGM’s Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Pharmacy have made a decorative flower, rose mallow (hibiscus rosa sinensis.L), into food ingredients. Venni Winta Pratiwi, Dita Hanna, Abigail Christine, Rizqi Mahanani, and Masmur Kristi Pamuji, made the flower into the main ingredient for pudding, candy and cookies.
Venni said the anti-oxidant, vitamin C and mineral contents in the flower led them to choose the rose mallow as edible ingredients. “The anti-oxidant of polyphenol, flavonoids, Vitamin C, and mineral can treat flu and fever, good for stamina and digestion,” she said on Tuesday (4/6).
Through the programme of Student Creativity in Entrepreneurship, they obtained Rp7,5 millions in cash. Acording to Abigail Christine, as a child she often played with the flower. Searching on the Internet, Abigail found out that the flower can be made into a vegetable salad.
Dita Hanna said they used the corolla of the flower only, blended into additional dough for cookies. “To make 1 kg of dough, some ¼ kg of flower is needed,” said the student of class 2009. They obtained the flowers from the local people of Randu hamlet in Hargobinangun, Sleman regency. They buy one kilogram of flower at Rp7,500.
Rizqi Mahanani said in two months, they were able to produce 850 cookies, 354 pieces of pudding and 397 candies. A ½ kilogram of cookies sells for Rp14,000. One pudding sells for Rp1,500 while one candy Rp1,500. “Our turnover for two months was Rp3,5 millions with a nett benefit amounting to Rp1,6 millions,” said Rizqi.