Lovers of food cooking up the spirit of nationalism in the kitchen

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Food of love: Santhi Serad and William Walter, organizers of the I Love Indonesian food community, the traditional cuisine in the recent meeting in Jakarta. (JP/Tifa Asrianti)

The fragrant, seductive smell of food wafted through the building. After its trail of a flight of stairs led to a room with plates of Indonesian cuisine on the tables.

Dishes included rendang (beef cooked in coconut milk), soto ayam Lamongan (aromatic chicken soup Lamongan-style) and asem asem milkfish (Milkfish sour soup), with each dish Cook, ready to explain the ingredients and the cooking process.

The event at JL. Melawai, South Jakarta, was a regular potluck held by I Love Indonesian food (ACMI), a group founded by culinary expert William Walter and food enthusiast Santhi Serad.

Collect each community has its own theme. For example, the first held in December 2012 was a celebration of tempeh the following month paid tribute to 30 icons of Indonesian cuisine and ikan asin (salted fish) was the flavor of the month in February.

Communications relating to the food theme, date and location are scattered on the Community Twitter account @acmiID. Everyone can participate in the events, as long as they cook the food itself.

The potluck is not just an opportunity for members to share food, but also to receive feedback and to promote their food and business.

Neli Sestriani University student began her es cendol company, Cendol Ngiler, last year. During the January potluck gathering, she served the iced dessert drink that is made from coconut milk, palm sugar and green pieces of jelly, served with sticky rice.

Community members showered her with praise for the sweet treat.

"The ACMI potluck event also gives me a chance to get feedback about new friends," said Neli.

William is a restaurant owner and food consultant who is considered one of the foremost authorities on Indonesian cuisine. He said that the community wants to create awareness and interest in Indonesian cuisine.

"We hope that generates economic value for its members and the community members who can cook good food with people looking for delicious homemade Indonesian dishes. We will fine dining recommendations on our website, "he said.

"We are also considering training as food guides in each city. So, if tourists want to, they can get a culinary tour guides recommendations. "

He hopes that the community activities will inspire many young cooks to focus on Indonesian cuisine.

"I hope that the community helps stimulate a regeneration in Indonesian food experts. Many Indonesian cuisine experts don't like degrees of a fancy Culinary Academy, many of them are housewives who have your regular cooking dishes close to their hearts for years. "

ACMI Member Astrid is responsible for the home cooking knowledge to gain in the nation's kitchens. They went all the way to Aceh to learn about the kitchen of the nation's most Western Province.

"It was hard to find an expert on Aceh kitchen but I finally found a housewife who Aceh kitchen has served guests," she said.

She plans to open a restaurant Acehnese in Jakarta.

"When it comes to Sumatran cuisine, people always refer to Padang food. Many people do not know that Aceh delicious dishes, too. That's why I like to introduce authentic dishes of Aceh, "she said.

William has received applications for opening chapters in Medan, West Kalimantan and Yogyakarta. It seems that over the past decade, Indonesians not only knowledge of the world kitchens come have won in the country but also take more pride in their own food.

"The culinary art has multiplier effects as it can also be the development of the agricultural sector. The President must bring a culinary team if he is on a State visit. "We need to boost our food diplomacy," says William.