Javara Indonesia (www.javara.co.id) proudly presented the Borobudur Heritage Dinner: Relief to Table, an incredible dining experience to discover the ancient food culture system engraved on Borobudur reliefs.
This spectacular dinner is the main program of Jelajah Rempah Nusantara series, a collaborative activity held in partnership with The Dharmawangsa Jakarta on 19-21 August 2022 to celebrate the variety of spices and food culture of the archipelago that has existed since ancient times. A series of innovative activities, including Ancient Rice Workshop, Aromatherapy Workshop, Movie Screening, Artisanal Market, Laku Lampa Dance Practice, and Spice Talk also became an interesting agenda.
Taking place two nights in a row, the first Borobudur Heritage Dinner was held on 19 August 2022. Starting at the Majapahit Lounge – The Dharmawangsa Hotel with mocktails using ingredients discovered on the reliefs of Borobudur Temple, including palm sap, sugarcane juice, and mace. The guests were then escorted to the Presidential Suite along with the Ragaswara Laku Lampa procession, a motion and strains of Javanese songs accompanied by traditional musical instruments rooted in ancient Javanese traditions. The Presidential Suite had been transformed into a food garden of the archipelago’s ancient heritage, adorned with wide varieties of plants and food ingredients discovered in Borobudur reliefs, including a 5-meter-high black cane grove and taro trees. With more than 70 types of food items arranged in Borobudur, this dinner featured 20 varieties that represented the elements and ecosystems of water, soil, and wind.
Before the dinner commenced, Nadiem Makarim – Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology, and Sandiaga Uno – Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy gave opening speeches. Nadiem Makarim was amazed by the archipelago’s food biodiversity contained in the reliefs of Borobudur as presented at the dinner and also congratulated Helianti Hilman – Founder of Javara Indonesia, for the initiative taken and at the same time addressed her as a living encyclopedia of food heritage. Meanwhile, Mr. Sandiaga Uno emphasized that this initiative strengthens Borobudur’s position as a special interest tourist destination, especially for cultural-based gastronomic tourism.
The event was also attended by H.E. Kanasugi Kenji – Ambassador of Japan, H.E. Kwok Fook Seng – Ambassador of Singapore, Hilmar Farid – Director General of Culture, Rizki Handayani – Deputy of Tourism Products Ministry of Tourism & Creative Economy, Mrs. Yolande Melsert – Head of Culture & Communication, Director Erasmus Huis, Mr. Cyrill Noerhadi – Chairman of Creador/ Indonesia’s Sovereign Wealth Fund’s Supervisory Board, Wiwit Kasiyati – Head of Borobudur Conservation Center, Mr. Hariadi Jasim – Board of Commissioner PT Puri Dharmawangsa Raya, Mr. Adiel Jasim – President Director of PT Puri Dharmawangsa Raya, Ninuk Pambudy – Deputy Editor in Chief Kompas, Alistair Speirs – Now! Jakarta, as well as other media partners.
Borobudur Heritage Feast Dinner was guided and narrated by Helianti Hilman accompanied by Sugi Lanus – a philologist and historian who is fluent in six ancient languages. Both presented stories behind the ingredients & menus served, including how the food culture is still very relevant to the modern day and its relation to sustainable food systems, a healthy diet, and the welfare of Indonesian farmers.
Varieties of local dishes depicted in the reliefs of Borobudur were served as artful and appetizing dishes. Kluwih and Sukun chips with lontar salsa dip and Yellow-Fin Tuna amuse bouche flavored with mango salsa, Javanese Long Pepper and jetkolet – Borobudur cassava chips, became lucrative starters. The appetizer menus such as Lobster served with foxtail millet/jewawut and arenga vinegar dressing as well as Coconut Curry Soup with Mie Lethek (cassava vermicelli) and smoked Beong Fish added a special taste to our palate.
Pan-Seared Beef with taro cake and wild genjer leaves was served as the main dish. Tropical Treat with Mangosteen Panna Cotta and Coconut Macaroon with Coconut Jam became a special dessert celebrating the diversity of fruits in the reliefs of Borobudur. What’s more, Kopi Bukit Menoreh or Wedang Uwuh – a warm drink inspired by the era of Sultan Agung in the 15th century was served at the end. The warm beverage was complemented with Krasik – Borobudur-style dodol using rice flour as the main ingredient which was previously grounded with a stone mill that has been passed down from one generation to another.
Borobudur Heritage Dinner: Relief to Table showcases that Indonesia is blessed with biodiversity and food culture that has been part of the life of the archipelago’s society since ancient times, as engraved on the reliefs of Borobudur. This rich variety of healthy and nutritious local food ingredients and a sustainable food culture does not only improve our farmers’ welfare but can potentially overcome malnutrition and even becomes a new healthy lifestyle trend in alignment with the global health diet agenda.
We hope this will be a new beginning of a new approach to celebrating and sustaining the archipelago’s food culture. The Borobudur Heritage Feast: Relief to Table dinner will certainly enrich and attract special interest tourism to Borobudur as a world heritage.
This event was supported by the Directorate General of Culture, Ministry of Education, Culture, Research & Technology and the Deputy for Tourism Products of the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy.
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