Brewing the Future from Gayo Coffee and Nipah Fruit

A group of students from Universitas Syiah Kuala (USK) in Aceh has created an innovative functional beverage named Nipharia, combining premium Gayo Arabica coffee with nipah fruit (Nypa fruticans). The nipah plant, which grows abundantly in the coastal swamps of Aceh, has long been overlooked and rarely utilised as an economic commodity. Nipharia is packaged as a cold brew coffee blended with nipah syrup and jelly, serving as a natural sweetener. The drink offers a unique flavour profile and is rich in fibre, positioning it as a healthy, functional beverage. The team has secured funding from the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology’s Student Entrepreneurship Development Programme (P2MW) 2026. According to team leader Teuku Arief Kamilussyifak, the idea stemmed from concerns over low nutritional literacy and the underutilisation of nipah fruit among young people. The product has already been validated by the market, selling out completely at the recent Bhayangkara Fest, and is now widely distributed across Banda Aceh, including on campus and at public events like Car Free Day. The supervising lecturer, Fakhri Ramadhan, stated that the development process was structured from raw material processing to marketing strategy, aiming to make a tangible impact on the local economic ecosystem. The team hopes Nipharia will pioneer agro-industrial development based on local raw materials capable of competing in modern markets.