Pekanbaru designates durian sticky rice cake as city's culinary icon

The Pekanbaru City Government in Riau Province has designated kue talam ketan durian as a culinary icon and will serve it as a distinctive welcome food for guests visiting the region. Pekanbaru Mayor Agung Nugroho stated that a joint agreement had been signed to strengthen kue talam ketan durian as a flagship product for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and a signature welcome dish for Pekanbaru City. “This agreement was born from collaboration between the city government, the Pekanbaru Chapter of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI), and business and MSME players. We agreed on how this kue talam ketan durian can become welcome food within the Pekanbaru City Government environment, hotels, and even the airport,” he said in Pekanbaru on Monday. He added that the joint agreement was signed by the Pekanbaru Industry and Trade Office together with PHRI Pekanbaru and the owner of the largest souvenir shop in Riau. This is part of efforts to elevate local MSME products while introducing Pekanbaru City’s culinary identity. According to him, Pekanbaru has not yet had a distinctive food widely recognised as a city icon. Therefore, kue talam ketan durian was chosen to be introduced more massively to the public and tourists. He explained that the product has great potential to develop, similar to several well-known souvenir brands that grew from local start-up businesses. Business players such as Viera, Insyira, and Nadhira Napoleon are examples of entrepreneurs who successfully built their businesses from scratch to become widely known. “We hope that kue talam ketan durian can also develop into a flagship product capable of driving the community’s economy and opening new business opportunities for MSME players,” Agung hoped. Furthermore, the Pekanbaru City Government is also striving to introduce regional culinary specialties to the international level. One such effort involves the city government submitting a proposal to the Michelin Guide, an institution known for evaluating the best culinary destinations and products in various countries. “I hope this step can help introduce Pekanbaru’s culinary richness to the world while increasing the city’s tourism appeal,” said Agung.