Food talk: Maria (second right) tells villagers about her food in Food Lore, a new HBO Asia series.

Food serves to satisfy one’s appetite while, at the same time, bringing people together.

The role of Asian cuisines in bringing people together is taken to the screen in Food Lore, one of the latest original Asian productions coming from the premium cable television network, HBO Asia.

The eight-episode anthology series, helmed by award-winning Singaporean filmmaker Eric Khoo, explores the human narrative — an emotional journey of love, passion and memories through the perspective of Asian cuisines, including Indonesia’s.

It features eight countries — Japan, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam — and involves a number of directors, including Indonesia’s own Billy Christian.

Billy’s episode, Food Lore: Maria’s Secret Recipe, tells the story of a mysterious woman named Maria (played by Alexandra Gottardo), who moves to a small Indonesian island and opens a food stall, Kedai Maria (Maria’s Stall).

Her eggplant dishes quickly attract villagers and soon gain popularity in just a few days. Unknown to Maria, however, her beauty also mesmerizes her customers, especially men, who eat there almost every single day, much to their wives’ dismay.

One of the wives is Ratih (played by Putri Ayudya), a lonely wife who is experiencing a passionless marriage with her husband Jono (Dian Sidik). In hope of pleasing him and to satisfy her curiosity, she asks Maria about her secret recipe and cooking process for her exquisite eggplant dish while realizing it takes more than just seasoning and spice to reignite her marriage’s sparks.

Throughout the episode, eggplant, cooked with traditional recipes — from pecak terong (spicy eggplant) and terong balado (fried eggplant in chili sauce) — become the story’s focus.

Billy said the vegetable was chosen for its simplicity and closeness to people’s everyday lives, considering how commonly it is cooked by most Indonesians.

“I want to bring up a very simple dish that is very close to everyone and can be cooked according to their respective characteristics, be it sweet, spicy or salty,” Billy said.

He continues to express how these eggplant dishes can be used as metaphors in the story, especially Maria in the eyes of the villagers and the relationship between Ratih and Jono.

Man of ideas: Indonesian director Billy Christian, who is known for his horror films, directed the Indonesian episode of Food Lore, a new HBO Asia series.

“So basically, eggplant might be seen as ugly but it does taste good and has become common in our society and, if we relate it with the story, people can easily judge others without knowing the story behind them,” Billy explained.

“Foods are definitely delicious if they are made with love and those who understand their significant others are able to cook for them based on their characteristics […] and there should be an effort between husbands and wives to keep their spark alive.”

Unlike their characters, both Alexandra and Putri had never tasted the eggplant dishes before and took time before the filming to give them a try.

“I have never eaten eggplant. I don’t know why,” Alexandra chuckled. “Billy brought me an eggplant so I could get used to holding and, eventually, cooking it.”

“I have never tried eggplant either, so she brought me a homemade dish called chicken curry eggplant during the readings,” said Putri, referring to Alexandra.

The filming was conducted on the Thousand Islands, specifically Genteng Kecil Island and Kelapa Island, which, according to Billy, are home to people whose characters are not yet affected by big city life.

The story itself centers on the problems of love and marriage experienced by almost every couple on the island, just like Ratih and Jono, until Maria comes along and becomes a trigger that drives people to think of a new solution: food.

“It’s about love, actually, about opening up, about communication, which is connected through food,” Billy said.

The series’ first two episodes — Food Lore: Island of Dreams and Food Lore: He Serves Fish, She Eats Flower, shot in the Philippines and Vietnam, respectively — were screened at this year’s Tokyo International Film Festival, which runs from Oct. 28 to Nov. 5.

The Indian episode, Food Lore: A Plate of Moon, is to premiere at the Singapore International Film Festival on Nov. 24 this year.

The Indonesian episode, Food Lore: Maria’s Secret Recipe, is scheduled to be screened on Nov. 10 at the Seriencamp Festival in München, Germany. (ste)

Jealousy: Villagers talk about Maria in a scene from the Indonesian Food Lore episode.

— The writer is an intern at The Jakarta Post

— Photos courtesy of HBO Asia