Gluten-Free Snakehead Fish Otak-Otak: Local Food Innovation from the Health Class of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (DPM FKIK) of ULM
Karang Intan – The Student Organization Capacity Building Program (PPK Ormawa) Implementation Team of the Student Representative Council of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (DPM FKIK) of Lambung Mangkurat University (ULM) once again presented an innovation through its second Health Class.
Themed “Processing Gluten-Free Snakehead Fish Otak-Otak,” the event took place on Saturday (September 27, 2025) in Karang Intan Village, Banjar Regency. Participants included local residents, including women from the Family Welfare Movement (PKK), men from the village, village youth, representatives of the Bakthi Banua Youth, and the implementing team and task force of the Health Class division.
During this event, the PPK Ormawa team provided education on the importance of local innovations that are healthy, nutritious, and have economic potential. The resource person for this event was Hartati, a Public Health student with an interest in healthy food processing.
Before the workshop began, Hartati provided a brief presentation on the nutritional content and health benefits of snakehead fish protein, as well as the alternative flours used as ingredients for gluten-free otak-otak. The explanations were presented in a simple manner to ensure participants’ understanding, thus equipping them with the necessary skills before engaging in the cooking process.
The workshop utilized the local potential of the village, known for its fishery resources. Participants, especially the women, were enthusiastic about trying their hand at making snakehead fish otak-otak. Interestingly, the resulting dish wasn’t limited to just one format.
From a single batch, participants could create several presentation variations, from plain fried otak-otak, coated with egg yolk before frying, to even boiled or grilled options. In today’s workshop, participants successfully produced fried otak-otak coated with egg.
The participants’ enthusiasm was evident in their active participation throughout the workshop, from preparing equipment to testing cooking techniques. It is hoped that this gluten-free snakehead fish otak-otak can become a new, economically valuable MSME innovation that can be marketed within the village. Thus, in addition to improving household skills, this activity also opens up opportunities for the community to develop local economic potential.
This second Health Class activity is one of the tangible outcomes of the PPK Ormawa DPM FKIK ULM program, which focuses not only on improving individual capacity but also supporting village development through local food innovation. The event concluded with a documentation session with all participants, the implementation team, and the resource persons, marking a shared commitment to continue developing the village through creative and sustainable ideas.
