Governor of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), Viktor Bungtilu Laiskodat, has announced that experts at Nusa Cendana University (Undana) are currently undergoing research to produce Moringa liqueur.
“We are encouraging researchers to develop Sopi, a type of traditional liquor. Sopi uses raw ingredients from the moringa plant,” Viktor said. Earlier this week, Undana rector Fredrik Lukas Benu, also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to start the production of Sophia, the branded name of the moringa liqueur. Sophia itself is a joint project between the University’s business school and a local company.
“We will name all NTT liquor products Sophia – Sophia 1, Sophia 2, and so on. The products include the one that uses moringa as a raw ingredient,” added Viktor. He added that Sophia will compete with traditional liquors from other regions, including Cap Tikus from Manado, North Sulawesi. Sophia will also be exported to Timor Leste and Australia. Two out of the three Sophia liquors are ready for production, while the third one is still under development. Viktor also explained that the Sophia liquor is produced from palm wine that was purchased from local suppliers who use traditional methods.
“Sophia has an alcohol content of 45 percent. We will first produce 12,000 bottles of the liqueur,” Viktor confirmed. The moringa liqueur is expected to launch in June 2019 and will retail for Rp 1 million (US$70.22) per bottle.
Source: The Jakarta Post
Image: Tonica Herbal Wellness