Indonesian Gastrodiplomacy and Pancasila: Through Indonesian Culinary with the Presence of NUSA in the San Francisco Bay Area
With that, I would like to express my deepest thanks to Mrs. Dr. Yatti Rosmiati M. Pd as a lecturer in the Pancasila course who has guided and provided great support regarding the work on this article assignment. I would also like to thank all my friends who have taken the time to read this article that I wrote. Hope it is useful!
Introduction
Pancasila is the foundation of the Indonesian state which consists of five principles which reflect the nation’s noble values . These values include belief in one God, just and civilized humanity, Indonesian unity, democracy led by wisdom in deliberation/representation, and social justice for all Indonesian people. In the current era of globalization, it is very important for Indonesia, especially the people, to promote the values of Pancasila as part of their national identity to a global audience. There are many strategies and efforts that can be made, starting from cultural diplomacy through international cultural festivals, student exchanges to art exhibitions by Indonesian artists. International cooperation through humanitarian, development programs and world peace missions. Through communication media such as films, documentaries, social media which are increasingly popular today, it can be a big opportunity to introduce the noble values of Pancasila to a larger scope or global level.
The Presence of Restaurants with Indonesian Culinary in San Francisco is a Form of Gastrodiplomacy
Recently on the news page of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a new restaurant that introduces various typical Indonesian dishes and snacks called NUSA has officially opened in Emeryville, San Francisco, United States on May 15 2024, which was attended by the Indonesian Consul General in San Francisco, Prasetyo Hadi, and The Mayor of Emeryville is Courtney Welch. NUSA is a startup venture by Jennifer Huang, who started her culinary business in 2013 under the name “1000 Layer Bakey” a catering service for technology companies in Silicon Valley. This business evolved into NUSA in 2020, which now in 2024 sells a variety of typical Indonesian market cakes and snacks in San Francisco. The NUSA opening event was enlivened with various dishes such as lemper, various satay, soto ayam, shredded chicken, karedok, tofu and bacem tempeh, as well as various fruit juices and traditional Indonesian cakes such as lapis legit, layer cake and nastar. NUSA’s presence in the San Francisco Bay Area adds to the list of Indonesian restaurants that contribute to promoting the taste of Indonesian culinary delights in the United States.
Consul for Socio-Cultural Information Mahmudin Nur Al-Gozaly emphasized the importance of gastrodiplomacy in improving Indonesia’s positive image and economic diplomacy. What is Gastrodiplomacy? Gastrodiplomacy is a form of diplomacy carried out by countries through food or cooking by utilizing food elements in it, one of which is the characteristic of a particular region or culture, so that cross-cultural understanding can be formed. Gastrodiplomacy plays an important role in the context of international relations in increasing a country’s brand awareness through culinary delights. Apart from that, Gastrodiplomacy is also a form of soft diplomacy that relies on the cultural appeal of a country’s food. This is in line with the opinion of the Consul for Social and Cultural Information, Mahmudin Nur Al-Gozaly, who explained that food is part of the nation’s identity which can attract global interest in Indonesian culture and tourism. With more and more Indonesian culinary MSMEs developing abroad, it is hoped that efforts to promote culture through food will become stronger and have a positive impact on Indonesian diplomacy.
The Relationship between Indonesian Culinary and Pancasila Values
So what does this have to do with the values contained in Pancasila? Archipelago culinary refers to the richness of dishes and diverse eating traditions throughout Indonesia from Sabang to Merauke. Each region has its own characteristics and uniqueness in terms of taste, raw materials and how it is served. According to Wikipedia, Culinary comes from the words ” kulini ” which means cooking and ” ner ” which means person. So, culinary can be defined as someone who cooks or is related to cooking activities. Meanwhile, Nusantara comes from the words ” nusa ” which means island and ” antara ” which means between, so it has the meaning of an archipelago between two continents, namely Asia and Australia. Therefore, Nusantara Culinary can be interpreted as dishes and eating traditions originating from various islands in Indonesia.
Archipelago culinary is one of Indonesia’s cultural treasures that should be preserved and introduced to the general public. This richness does not only lie in the diversity and types of dishes, but also in the cultural and traditional values contained therein ranging from the richness of spices, unique and traditional cooking techniques, to unique and attractive presentations. Apart from that, Nusantara Culinary reflects cultural diversity and unity in diversity in each region which has different specialties. By showing Indonesian culinary delights on the international stage, it means being proud of the various cultural elements in Indonesia that can unite well and in harmony by reflecting the value of unity in Pancasila. . Steps to preserve Indonesian Culinary need to be carried out in a sustainable manner so that this cultural richness does not become extinct, such as through the opening of typical Indonesian culinary restaurants that are opened abroad. With ongoing conservation efforts, it is hoped that Indonesian Culinary will continue to be sustainable and become the pride of the Indonesian people.
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