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Ubud Food Festival spices up the world with Indonesian cuisine
Iconic: Nyonya Nuptial Nosh is the stuff of legends
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conic: Nyonya Nuptial Nosh is the stuff of legends. The array of dishes originates from the descendants of early Chinese migrants in Penang, Malacca, Singapore and Indonesia. (Ubud Food Festival/Anggara Mahendra)
Home to more than 300 ethnic groups across 17,000 islands, Indonesia, with its rich culinary diversity, is a paradise like no other for food lovers.
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.
The government named tumpeng (cone-shaped rice accompanied with side dishes) the nation’s official dish in 2014 as it incorporates a large variety of local cuisines. In 2018, it selected five popular dishes — nasi goreng (fried rice), soto (traditional soup), rendang (meat slow-cooked meat in coconut milk and spices), satay and gado-gado (vegetable salad with peanut sauce) — as its national foods.
In Aceh, Wan said, there are more than 1,000 types of local foods. “Aceh consists of several ethnic groups, each of which has its own culinary traditions. Citing just one example, we have at least 100 variants of curry or gulai.”
Janet added: “When I visited Aceh, I was just blown away learning about a local dish made of meat and vegetables, cooked with 169 types of spices and herbs.”
Charles Toto, chef of the Jungle from Papua, said few Indonesians were familiar with Papuan dishes, let alone foreigners. “My goal is to promote back-to-nature Papuan dishes at this festival,” Charles said.
Dishes from the Eastern parts of Indonesia are similar to Polynesian and Melanesian cuisines.
“In the past, our staple foods comprised sago, sweet potatoes and taros. We consumed an adequate amount of meat and fish, acquired in sustainable ways from our forests, rivers and seas,” Toto said.
The evolution of people’s dietary patterns from root-based plants to rice and fast food has significantly impacted the lives of indigenous Papuans. “We are now heavily dependent on rice and modern food styles. Papuan people were known as strong and muscled men and women. Now, obesity is affecting our young people.”
Australia Award Fellow Kris Syamsudin, founder of community-based tourism project Cengkeh Afo and Gamalama Spices in Ternate, North Maluku, introduced his initiative promoting the local economy through spices and specialties.
With a total of 17,508 islands, 6,000 of which are populated with communities, Indonesia is a paradise for food lovers. The country is home to more than 300 ethnic groups that generate a rich tapestry of Indonesian cuisines.
Strategically located between two continents — Asia and Australia — the Indonesian archipelago was one of the most important trade routes, exposing the islands to a multitude of faraway regions.
Indonesia’s food has seen influences from Malayan, Indian, Middle Eastern, Chinese, Dutch, Portuguese, Polynesian and Melanesian cultures.
“The Ubud Food Festival, the fifth now, is little bit too late to promote Indonesian cuisines that date back for centuries,” Janet said.
Historical records show certain traditional Javanese cooking techniques that date back to the 9th century with the Kakawin Ramayana.
Between the 13th and 19th centuries, foreign traders from India and the Middle East, migrants from China, and the Dutch and Portuguese via invasions enriched local dishes with diverse flavors, ingredients and cooking methods.
Gujarat traders brought dishes like curry and roti canai from India, while tofu and noodles came from China. Bread, cakes and pastries came from European colonialists.
The three-day food festival also included discussions with Michelin-star chefs, culinary experts, historians, filmmakers, emerging young chefs, photographers, food writers and bloggers, hoteliers, restaurant owners and foodies.
Numerous master chefs conducted a series of master classes, including how to make tempeh, sambal and wood fire sourdough pizza. Participants were also eager to learn about food photography from professional photographers.
No less interesting were the food tours of “Culinary Jalan-Jalan”, which saw participants take brisk walks through the Ubud traditional market, popular food stalls and a famed tempeh-producing village.
Children had their own colorful events with an ice cream master class and gardening activities.
Ubud Food Festival provided a wide opportunity for all parties to collaborate and promote Indonesian food on the international stage.
“I am so grateful we have had support from ABC for two consecutive years,” Janet said, adding that, at the end of the day, sustaining the festival required enough funding and technical support.
“Funding has always been a challenge […]. We are hoping to engage with the food and beverage industries and also farmers in the coming years.” (ste)
