Food Diplomacy is a program initiated by Aku Cinta Masakan Indonesia/ACMI, the I love Indonesian Food Movement, to explore the country's culinary diversity. One of it activities is Temu Rasa Indonesia, Indonesia Taste Intersection.

Hence on January 22, 2015, ACMI in colaboration with Almond Zucchini a sophisticated culinary venue, Sababa Winery and William Wongso Kuliner, organized an event themed Menguak Cita Rasa Dayak, Revealing the Taste of Dayak.

Guests enjoyed more than 10 dishes originated from Dayak ethnic groups and learned about the stories behind the foods as told by chef Meliana Christanty who came directly from Pangkalan Bun, Central Kalimantan.

Kalimantan is the largest island in Indonesia, administratively devided into East Kalimantan with its capital Samarinda; West Kalimantan, centered in Pontianak; Central Kalimantan with Palangkaraya as the capital; North Borneo and Tanjung Selor as the capital town and South Kalimantan with Banjarmasin as the center of its government.

Kalimantan has five ethnic groups: Dayak, Melayu, Banjar, Kutai and Paser. In addition to the ethnic groups, Kalimantan is also inhabited by the Hakka (Singkawang), Javanese and Buginese. The arrival these migrants has influenced the big island's food diversity as we know today.

The evening was a good networking event where foodies had ample opportunities to take shots of the exotic cuisines. To accommodate enthusiastic guests, the big day had two batches of paid invitations: 05:00 to 07:30 PM and 08:00 to 10:00 PM

Astrid Suryatenggara representing Sababay introduced wine produced by local farmers in Buleleng, North Bali. It is a suitable pair for Indonesian cuisines.

A representatives of Almond & Zucchini informed guets that the venue is available for Cooking Classes, Private Parties, Pop Up Dining, and Corporate Team Building. Santhi Serad, the chair of ACMI also conveyed the message that ACMI plans to organize similar event every two month and the next may center on Gorontalo Cuisines.

Chef Meliana Christanty, introduced each of the dish on the menu as well as some of  the ingredients flown directly from Kalimantan:

1. Iwak Karing Batanak, a comfort food dish from Banjar, made with duck eggs and salted fish

2. Keripik Kelakai, chips made with ferns grown in Kalimantan swamps, colleted during the rainy season. Keripik Kelakai is believed to improve health by increasing red blood cells and can function as an anti-aging food.

3. Juhu Singkah Enyuh, Dayak food with gravy using spices and turmeric. In this dish Chef Meliana used ribs and umbut kelapa (palm heart). Juhu in the Dayak language means vegetable and gravy made with or without coconut milk.

4. Tumis Pakis Belacan, sauteed ferns with shrimp paste, a typical dish from Pontianak - West Kalimantan. Young ferns are lightly sauteed with shrimp paste and other spices until fragrant.

5. Ayam Cincane, a traditional chicken dish of Samarinda - East Kalimantan. It is now difficult to find Ayam Cincane, prepared by boiling chicken with coconut milk or coconut water infused with spices.

6. Tumis Udang Galah Jahe, a King Prawn dish of the Sultanate of Bulungan- North Kalimantan. The freshwater prawns are cooked well done with ,ininimalist ingredients: sauteed ginger and garlic, salt and pepper. According to chef Meliana she has the original recipe from a member of the Bulungan royal family who used to serve the dish in Sultanate events.

7. Goreng Dami is made with the outer parts of naturally fermented jack fruit by using salt. Dami is usually fried and served as munchies. The taste is slightly salty with crispy texture. It is a home-cooked snack that can not be found in any restaurant. Dami fiber is similar to anchovies and can be used as salted fish substitute for vegans.

8. Sate Melayu Pontianak, is type of satay cooked by Malay enthnic group in Pontianak - West Kalimantan. Made with seasoned diced beef, this satay can be served with beef broth and peanut sauce.

9. Dadah Belasan, a condiment from Dayak Kahayan - Central Kalimantan. This chili sauce is a mixture of  grilled simple ingredients such as onion, chili, salt, lemongrass and Kalimantan shrimp paste.

10. Sambal Terung Asam Kalimantan, eggplant condiment with Asam Kalimantan, a sour fruit.

11. Telur Dadar Pare, bitter melon omellette from Pontianak. It is a favorite even among children as the bitterness is dissolved by the preparation method.

12. Lawa Mentimun, also from the Sultanate of Bulungan is a mixture of toasted grated coconut cucumber, and king prawn.

As cold desserts, chef Meliana presented Bubur Gunting Pontianak, made with peeled mung beans, mushroom and cahkwe (twister dough) cut in pieces. 

Sarang Burung Walet Kalimantan, another cold dessert, is made with  swallow’s nest, pandan leaves, angco (red dates) and gelatin.

William Wongso, Indonesia’s culinary expert said that this event presented cuisines unknown to the general public. Indonesia has diverse culinary arts, and in promoting Indonesian food the chef is important, but equally important is to introduce local wisdoms to the audience.

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Images: Omar Niode Foundation