Tale of Tastes from the Archipelago
London was covered in snow on Wednesday (13/2/2019). On the streets, people were wearing thick jackets, gloves and scarves to withstand the cold air.
However, it was warm on the second floor of The Providores restaurant in Marylebone that day. Dozens of guests were gathered at the place. The aroma of pepper, clove, mace, nutmeg, star anise, Indonesian bay leaf, andaliman, sappan wood and many other spices filled the air.
Chefs Petty Elliott and Santhi Serad stood amid lines of restaurant seats, wearing white aprons. Both enthusiastically and smilingly shook hands with all the guests.
“Hi, how are you doing? Today, we have prepared unique and delicious Indonesian dishes for all of you. We will enjoy them together,” said Petty a moment later, after all of the guests took their seats.
The guests looked at the dishes on the table. Melinjo and shrimp crackers, Javanese spicy peanut sauce, Minangkabau-style green sambal and Sundanese tomato sambal were served there. Ternate-style tuna with gohu spices was served as an appetizer.
The lunch menu that day was prepared and served in collaboration with London-based chef and cookbook writer Petty and Jakarta-based chef Santhi, with help from UK chef Peter Gordon. Indonesian food lovers are familiar with both Petty’s and Santhi’s names.
Islands of spices
While her guests were enjoying the appetizers, Petty talked about the dishes and the spices used in preparing them. She then talked about the Spice Islands, including Ternate, Run, Banda, Tidore and Halmahera in Maluku and North Maluku.
“These were the original Spice Islands and they are part of the 17,000 islands in our country. We are all enjoying the unique spicy aroma of the ‘Spice Islands Revisited’,” Petty said to the applause of her guests.
Petty then explained the huge role and potentials of the Spice Islands in influencing global cuisine. “You know many types of spices, including mace, clove, cinnamon and many others. All of those came from the Spice Islands,” she said.
The event was a luncheon to introduce unique Indonesian dishes and part of a cultural program ahead of the London Book Fair (LBF) on March 12-14, 2019. For the event, Indonesia was chosen as the first-ever market focus country from Southeast Asia.
LBF Indonesia Market Focus Country for 2019 organizing committee chair Laura Bangun Prinsloo served as host that day. Around 30 English people came to the restaurant, full of curiosity.
Hana A. Satriyo, the wife of Indonesian Ambassador to the UK Rizal Sukma, emphasized that Indonesia was the original Spice Islands, as the moniker has also been used for other regions in the world.
“Surely, the ‘Spice Islands’ in Indonesia is the original,” Hana said.
Petty said that the Spice Islands were known as the Moluccas, or Maluku, today. In fact, the name Maluku had been used among the Roman and Babylonian elites in around year 1700 BC.
In the 15th or 16th century, Maluku and other islands gained fame in global trade in line with the increasing spirit of exploration and colonization in search for spice. “Soon, we will serve you the main course, with portions enough to serve a large family,” said Petty, who took turns with Santhi in promoting the Indonesian dishes.
Santhi said that the main course for the day would be yellow rice, Acehnese chicken curry, fried fish with Manado-style woku spice, spicy grilled eggplant, grilled pumpkin and leek in coconut cream, and sweet and spicy fried tempeh. “They are all delicious and please enjoy yourself,” Petty said.
For dessert, Petty and Santhi served layer cakes, bubur sumsum (rice pudding with palm sugar syrup), salmon cake with sago and guava jam. At the end of the luncheon, the guests were given the choice to have West Javanese oolong tea or Flores Bajawa coffee.
Amazed
London-based cookbook writer Angela Clutton, who attended the luncheon, said that she was amazed by Indonesia. “I love all the dishes from your country. They have a strong, spicy aroma. I have never had dishes like this before,” she said.
Indonesian dishes, Clutton said, were famed for their authenticity and strong national identity. “The Spice Islands are part of your country. You should be proud of that,” she said, adding that she wanted to travel to Indonesia and explore its culinary choices.
“The philosophy of this Spice Islands Revisited luncheon makes me want to remind people of the Spice Islands’ important role in gastronomy, both in Indonesia and the world,” Petty said. Gastronomy is the study of the relationship between food and culture.
“All dishes, everywhere in the world, use spices like clove or nutmeg. They all come from the Spice Islands in Indonesia, namely the islands of Maluku,” Petty said.
The luncheon, focusing on the Indonesian archipelago’s dishes ahead of LBF 2019, perfectly suited the book fair to be held in Olympia London. The organizing committee looks to explore Indonesia’s diversity through the theme, “Indonesia, 17,000 Islands of Imagination”.
With Indonesia serving as the market focus country in LBF 2019, all eyes will be set on the country. More than 60 countries regularly participate in the exhibition. Now, at least 1,000 companies from dozens of
countries will also be involved. This year’s LBF organizing committee said that visitors from 135 countries and 25,000 professional publishers were expected to come. Such a position gives ample opportunity for Indonesia to sell as many copyrights as possible.
May Indonesia be more famous and beloved by the world.