Graduate focuses on local food, fruits

By EHEJUC SESERU
A STUDENT who graduated on Friday from the University of Technology with a second degree is focussing on local food.
Applied Chemistry graduate Ixzara Bakung, 28, wanted to see more native food cooked to meet international standards.
Bakung, from Sattelberg in Finschhafen, Morobe, said local food must be prepared to international standards in the catering and hospitality industry.
Through perseverance and believing in working hard regardless of situations, he is focussed to achieving this dream one step at a time.
Bakung graduated with his second degree on Friday – his first was a Bachelor of Science in food technology in 2014.
“Catering and becoming a five-star chef in what I always wanted to do,” he said.
“Mainly to promote native Papua New Guinean food and cooking them in a standard that is accepted internationally.
“I’m interested in a field of cooks or chefs. Because of this, I haven’t missed a single episode of the Master Chef.”
Bakung said the field is growing popular especially in the tourism and hospitality industry.
“There are many challenges in it but I wanted to work with food chemistry,” he said.
“Cooking is a creative art.”
The food technologist and applied chemist also said native fruits complimented cooked food in a meal and can be fermented into beverages.
“All our native fruits can be fermented into alcoholic beverages,” he said.
“I am looking at producing my own alcoholic beverage using native fruits.”
Bakung said he would applying for licenses to ferment and produce alcoholic beverages.
“First I will get a license to ferment alcohol by using the appropriate equipment,” he said.
“So far, I have found two fruits for fermenting alcoholic beverages.”
He said the alcohol content must meet the standard set by world health and national health department.
Bakung education started at Emmanuel Elementary at Gerehu stage one, Port Moresby.
He then went on to Gerehu Primary and moved to Sattleberg Primary School in Finschhafen, Morobe.
He completed grade six through to grade eight at St Lutheran Paul’s Primary in Lae and completed his high school years at Bumayong Lutheran Secondary School.
He was accepted to Unitech in 2010 and became president of university’s Morobe Staff and Students Association in 2015.