Kota Kediri, The City of Kediri, in East Java (population 300,000) has a history of more than a thousand years, and an interesting cultural and culinary scenes. It was the location of Kadiri Kingdom in the 12th century and in the late 1940s was the guerilla route of General Sudirman, a national hero in a battle to keep Indonesia’’s independence.

Soto Podjok (traditional soup), pecel punten (savory rice with mixed vegetables and hot peanut sauce), gethuk pisang (banana cake), sate bekicot (snail satay), and tahu takwa (yellow tofu) are well known Kediri foods.

 Image: Kota Kediri

The history of tahu (tofu) in Kediri dates back to Chinese immigrants entering Indonesia in the early 1900. Some settled in kediri and began making tahu with skills passed on to future generations. The main factor that drove them to produce tahu was the water quality in Kediri similar to China’s as water greatly affects the final result of tahu making.

Tahu Kediri is not white but yellow in color as it is cooked with water mixed with turmeric and a little salt. Compared to other types of tahu, Tahu Kediri, is denser in texture and more savory in taste. Its suppleness is due to soybeans as the only ingredients with small water used. The turmeric functions as natural coloring and preservative.

 Image: Maira Niode

 Image: Kota Kediri

To preserve the city’s history and culture as well as to obtain high economic benefits, the culinary varieties of Kediri need to be widely introduced in Indonesia and abroad. As such, Kota Kediri is working to raise the popularity of its tahu as a prime food ingredient.

To commemorate its 1137th Anniversary, the City Government of Kediri in collaboration with Omar Niode Foundation organized a series of events during the month of August, including Kota Kediri Tahu Seminar and Kota Kediri Tahu Festival

The Kota Kediri Tahu Seminar featured two speakers to spark discussions about how Tahu Kota Kediri can become a profitable commodity for food business, as well as how to promote tahu creatively. In her opening remarks Ferry Silviana Feronica, the wife of Kediri Mayor, who keeps promoting Tahu Kota Kediri as a flag food product to indentify the city encouraged innovative tofu processing and packaging so that visitors to the city will buy them as food gifts from Kota Kediri.

 Image: Kobchai Matasurawi/123rf.com

The Chair of Omar Niode Foundation, Amanda Niode, in her talk on Business Development of Tahu Kota Kediri explained the history of tahu and its ancient and moren processing as well as the health and economic benefits of tahu, known as superfood. She elaborated on how tahu is a basic ingredient that can be used to prepare appetizers, main courses, snacks, desserts and drinks. It is also important to understand food and drink trends over the years to develop in-demand tahu products.

The managing director of Petakumpet Yogyakarta, Arif Budiman, informed the audience of the importance of branding and packaging of products, especially f Tahu Kota Kediri is to become an international food product.

 Image: Kota Kediri

Seminar attendees, approximately 300 people, include the Tahu Business Community, owners of food stalls and restaurants in the City of Kediri, government oficials and also the general public who are interested in the Tahu business.

Kota Kediri Tahu Festival is a culinary entertainment with live music and a food fair that promotes tahu as the main dish and local businesses sell their tahu products. The highlight is a cooking show of tofu dishes by national and international guest chefs invited by Omar Niode Foundation and the City of Kediri. All the chefs performed cooking demos of international cuisines using tofu, Tahu Kota Kediri, in the menu.

All the guest chefs have their own liaison officers who assisted the chefs in their trip as well as during the cooking event. These liaison officers are Panji-Galuh, the young men and women selected biannualy as Kota Kediri Tourism Ambassadors. 

Images: Arief Priyono, Omar Niode Foundation

Chef Gilles Marx of Amuz Parisian Dining created Tahu & Seafood Bisque, Buckwheat Noodles, Fennel & Wakame Seaweed. He also made Crispy seared Tahu in Feuille de Briquevrap, Mediterranean Vegetables, & Tangy Orange Zest Dressing.

Chef Dedes of Die Stube, German Restaurants, cooked koenigsberger klopsse, German balls in puff pastry.

Chef Pino Coglitore and family: Mariamah, Nadia and Angie Coglitore of Signora Pasta Restaurants prepared Italian dishes: pasta, pizza, and gnocchi, all with tahu as the ingredients.

Images: Arief Priyono

Chef Janet DeNeefe of Indus and Casa Luna Restaurants created tofu salad and tofu tortilla.

Local chefs from Kota Kediri, Chef Insumo Kediri made tahu roll whileChef Agus Syafruddin, culinary arts teacher and vocational highschool students of Kota Kediri cooked tahu kipu cengeh and fried tofu dimsum.

Lastly, Dian Anggraini, Food Revolution Day Ambassador of Jamie Oliver Foundation; and Terzi Niode of Omar Niode Foundation prepared binthe biluhuta, traditional corn soup from Gorontalo, using tofu as seafood alternative.

 Image: Arief Priyono

Hundreds in the audience include women representatives of 46 villages in the City of Kediri as well as representatives of regional government offices and the general public enthusiastically watched the international guests chefs in action. The Kediri Tahu Celebration was a success due to the team work of Kota Kediri officials led by Abdullah Abu Bakar, the Mayor of Kota Kediri and his wife Ferry Silviana Feronica who are passionate in promoting Kota Kediri and its tahu.

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Text: Amanda Niode

Cover image: Jarungthip Jarin/123rf.com