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Ubud fest spices up the world with Indonesian cuisines
Home to more than 300 ethnic groups across 17,000 islands, Indonesia, with its rich tapestry of cuisines, is a paradise like no other for food lovers.
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Best of the best: Leading chefs from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Singapore united to bring the region's best to Nusantara. (Ubud Food Festival/Wirasthya Darmaja)
American cook James Beard once said, “Food is our common ground, a universal experience.”
This saying was true when the artsy village of Ubud in Gianyar, Bali, recently hosted a vibrant culinary event in the fifth Ubud Food Festival. This year’s theme was “Spice Up the World”.
Far from the noisy post-election bustle of the capital Jakarta, the three-day festival in tranquil Ubud brought together world-class and up-and-coming chefs, culinary legends, food writers and bloggers, restaurateurs, bold and creative entrepreneurs, scientists, celebrities and foodies.
“This is a celebration of the wealth of diverse and delicious Indonesian cuisines and it is high time for the world to add Indonesian dishes to their plates,” said Janet DeNeefe, founder of the festival.
Food lovers enjoyed dishes from Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, the country’s westernmost province, Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Maluku, Bali, West and East Nusa Tenggara and Papua.
“Naming just five Indonesian dishes as the national foods is simply undermining the diversity and richness of the country’s culinary traditions,” said Wan Windi Lestari, creative director of the Aceh Culinary festival.
