The Agriculture Ministry has introduced talas Belitung (taro/tuber), also known as kimpul, a type of tuber, as a substitute for rice in an effort to diversify food and as a good option for diabetics.
“In addition to cassava and sweet potato, kimpul is a tuber commodity that produces non-rice carbohydrates. It has the potential to become a substitute for rice,” an official from the ministry’s Directorate of Assorted Nuts and Tubers Inna Dwi Hidayah informed here on Friday.
One hundred grams of kimpul contains 2.81 percent protein, 0.08 percent fat, 67.26 percent water, 1.19 percent ash, 28.66 percent carbohydrates, 20.87 percent starch, 0.56 percent crude fiber, 1.31 percent soluble dietary fiber, 6.93 percent insoluble dietary fiber, 0.99 percent soluble polysaccharides, and 0.00083 mg diosgenin.
“Kimpul contains the bioactive diosgenin and soluble polysaccharides. It is beneficial for weight loss for those who are on a diet and prevents diabetes,” Hidayah said.
Consuming kimpul also helps increase body immunity, improve skin health, and prevent wrinkles, dark spots, and signs of aging, she pointed out.
Kimpul also stabilizes blood pressure and cholesterol, detoxifies the body, and acts as an antioxidant source, prevents cancer and stroke, and improves brain health as well as the health of pregnant women.
In terms of cultivation, kimpul is more drought-tolerant than other types of tubers, Hidayah added.
“Kimpul is easy to plant, so they are worthy of cultivation. It is usually planted on moist dry land. They can live in rice fields,” she said.
Kimpul production can reach 3.7 to 7.5 tons per hectare, and the crop is usually harvested 5–9 months after planting.
An academician from the University of Lampung, Solihin, said that all parts of a kimpul plant can be used, not just the tubers.
“Kimpul is zero waste, all parts of the plant can be used,” he added.
Source: Antara News