Iconic dishes set the scene for RI culinary tourism

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Sat, December 15 2012


Every Indonesian must have his or her own 30 favorite traditional dishes, but for the whole nation, the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry has set 30 iconic dishes that are considered to best represent Indonesia’s culinary assets.

Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Mari Elka Pangestu said on Friday that the dishes ranged from appetizers to beverages.

“We are going to promote the dishes, to Indonesians and foreigners, so that they are more well known among people and later they can compete with other dishes [from other countries] at an international level,” Mari said.

Besides the famous rendang (beef cooked in coconut milk) and nasi goreng (fried rice), the ministry has picked various kinds of entrees like nasi tumpeng (cone shaped rice served with condiments), selected through a long process that included debates in the ministry’s culinary working group. The group included distinguished culinary experts and academics such as William Wongso, Bondan Winarno and Azril Azhari, she said.

“Nasi tumpeng is the main icon because we can only find this cuisine in Indonesia. Moreover, it is a flexible dish as we can use nasi uduk [fragrant rice], brown rice or combination of white and brown rice as well as the variety of dishes served with it,” she continued.

She said the ministry would team up with relevant ministries: Foreign Ministry, Trade Ministry, Industry Ministry and Agriculture Ministry as well as other stakeholders such as hotels and restaurants to promote the country’s cuisine icons.

To promote the dishes abroad, what Mari called “Indonesian culinary diplomacy and nation branding”, she encouraged Indonesian Embassies worldwide to always feature the iconic dishes at every event that they hold, not only during culinary festivals.

In addition, she will invite ambassadors in Jakarta, as well as hoteliers and restaurateurs, to further expose the local cuisine.

She also expects other ministries to work toward making fresh and processed ingredients, needed to make Indonesian food, readily available abroad.

The ministry has included cuisine as the 15th sub-sector of the creative industry because of its strong connection to tourism — both domestic and foreign tourists spend their money on purchasing local cuisine when traveling in Indonesia.

She also said that culinary sector represented 32.2 percent of the total creative industry sector gross domestic product throughout 2011, the largest contributor in the sector, which is equal to Rp 169.62 trillion ($17.64 billion).

Azril said that the working group is currently preparing the nutritional facts, the story behind the cuisine and how it may be combined with tour packages.

30 iconic dishes

1. Nasi tumpeng (cone shaped fragrant rice served with condiments)
2. Ayam bumbu rujak Yogyakarta (chilli roasted chicken)
3. Gado-gado Jakarta (vegetable salad with peanut sauce)
4. Nasi goreng kampung (fried rice)
5. Serabi Bandung (rice pancake with palm sugar syrup)
6. Sarikayo Minangkabau (sticky rice with brown sugar and coconut milk)
7. Es dawet ayu Banjarnegara (sweet beverage with palm sugar and coconut milk)
8. Urap sayuran Yogyakarta (vegetable salad with grated coconut)
9. Sayur nangka Kapau (young jackfruit in coconut milk)
10. Lumpia Semarang (spring roll filled with shrimp and bamboo)
11. Nagasari Yogyakarta (rice flour cake filled with steamed banana)
12. Kue lumpur Jakarta (coconut pancake)
13. Soto ayam Lamongan (aromatic chicken soup)
14. Rawon Surabaya (beef stew)
15. Asinan Jakarta (vegetables in sweet and sour sauce)
16. Sate ayam Madura (chicken satay)
17. Sate maranggi Purwakarta (veal satay)
18. Klappertaart Manado (coconut pudding)
19. Tahu telur Surabaya (tofu with eggs)
20. Sate lilit Bali (minced fish satay)
21. Rendang Padang (beef cooked in spices and coconut milk)
22 . Orak-arik buncis Solo (sauteed string beans with scrambled eggs)
23. Pindang patin Palembang (fish soup)
24. Nasi liwet solo (rice cooked in coconut milk and served with side dishes)
25. Bir pletok Jakarta (ginger and cinnamon drink)
26. Kolak pisang ubi Bandung (banana and sweet root in sweet coconut sauce)
27. Ayam goreng lengkuas Bandung (galangal fried chicken)
28. Laksa Bogor (curry soup with rice cakes)
29. Kunyit asam Solo (tamarind turmeric drink)
30. Asam padeh tongkol Padang (tuna in spicy sour sauce)