He believes that food lovers enjoy not only the complex taste of Indonesian gastronomy, but to also appreciate the roots of Indonesian culture.
Kitchenesia.com sat down with the chef to talk about the passion.
You have gone to many remote areas around Indonesia recently to "preserve Indonesian spices". Is there a problem with Indonesian spices?
There is a tendency among farmer's offsprings not to continue their parents' job in producing crops.
They prefer to work in stable jobs that pay them fast, like working in an office or in a factory.
Then the land is abandoned and eventually sold by the owner.
Indonesia is blessed with vast land, but ironically we are on the edge of land crisis.
If this continues to happen, then Indonesia cannot export spices anymore. Or worse, we would export spices that used to be ours.
I desire to change this mindset.
I aim to build awareness between youth there, and highligh the importance of spice preservation and their roles in food sustainability.
Alhamdulillah (praise God), their responses are good.
