Suryatini still hungry for knowledge<\/p>\n
Maria Endah Hulupi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Suryatini N. Ganie knows her way around a kitchen, that's for
\nsure. Her contributions to the field of gastronomy have served up
\nthe richness of the country's culinary traditions to the public
\nboth here and abroad.<\/p>\n
She has authored a total of seven cookbooks in either English
\nor Indonesian, as well as numerous articles as a food columnist
\nand correspondent, in a career spanning 21 years.<\/p>\n
Today, she is also editor in chief of djakarta, the monthly
\nmagazine known for its hard-hitting, satirical, irreverent take
\non the capital and its denizens.<\/p>\n
While some may consider the career switch from passionate
\nfoodie to head of a cutting-edge publication a bit hard to
\nswallow, Suryatini prefers not to discuss the matter too much.<\/p>\n
She does point to her considerable experience as a columnist
\nfor such leading media as women's weekly Femina, her husband's
\nfamily long involvement in the publication of the now defunct
\nIndonesian Observer and the fact that one of her two sons, Kiki,
\na backer of the magazine, asked her to take the reins.<\/p>\n
But the chairwoman of the Indonesian Institute of Gastronomy
\nreturns instead to how her love of food has influenced her life
\nand career.<\/p>\n
"I love everything about it, the ingredients, the history, how
\nthey influence relationships between nations and how a food or a
\ncake traveled from its country of origin to other countries,"
\nsaid Suryatini, who was a finalist in the World Gourmet Summit
\nAward of Excellence 2003 for her article, titled Marco Polo's
\nChinese Wheat Affairs, published in Garuda In-flight magazine.<\/p>\n
"I've never run out of ideas for writing but unfortunately I
\ndid not collect my articles," she said.<\/p>\n
Her love of all things culinary comes from her childhood, a
\nperiod when she had the opportunity to try different food from
\nthe different parts of the country where her father, then head of
\nthe state court, was stationed.<\/p>\n
But she was too young to understand about gastronomy and
\neducation came as a top priority in her family.<\/p>\n
"My father was one of Eyang (grandmother) Kartini's first
\nstudents and the latter wished to see me continue my education at
\nSorbonne university," Suryatini said, referring to the country's
\nemancipation fighter R.A. Kartini, who was her grandmother's
\nsister.<\/p>\n
That plan was stymied by the outbreak of World War II and the
\noccupation by the Japanese. However, a loyal family servant
\nencouraged her to learn how to cook, with the aim of her one day
\nlanding a regent as a husband.<\/p>\n
"Mbok (Mrs) Kromo not only taught me cooking techniques but
\nshe also enlightened me about the history of some dishes, and
\nfrom which country or part of Indonesia they came from. I was
\neager to learn and I can say that she nourished my love for
\ngastronomy," said Suryatini, who inherited R.A. Kartini's hand-
\nwritten recipes.<\/p>\n
She did not marry a Javanese regent but an Acehnese, Nazarudin
\nGanie. They subsequently spent 20 years living in Europe, mainly
\nin Germany and the Netherlands, where Suryatini, who speaks 10
\nlanguages, was able to indulge her passion for gastronomy.<\/p>\n
"People in Europe are very proud of their traditional dishes
\nand I could see this when we traveled to some small European
\ncities, like in Spain or Italy. Locals have lots of knowledge
\nabout their food," she said.<\/p>\n
"I wished to be able to nurture such a passion for traditional
\nfood among Indonesians so they can be proud of the dishes from
\ntheir own regions."<\/p>\n
The couple returned to Indonesia when her father-in-law died.
\nThe transition of returning to her homeland after many years in
\nEurope was not too difficult as Suryatini endeavored to keep
\nherself busy, working with several newspapers and magazines,
\nincluding Femina magazine.<\/p>\n
"I did the cooking and they did the photography," she
\nrecalled.<\/p>\n
Food, she said, must be a feast for all the senses, when it is
\ncarefully and hygienically prepared and beautifully served. It is
\nin this area that she sees much room for improvement in the
\ncountry's kitchens.<\/p>\n
"It saddens me to see very little progress has been made in
\nlocal gastronomy," she said.<\/p>\n
"Through the Indonesian Institute of Gastronomy, several
\nfriends and I try to promote local dishes and create a 'standard'
\nfor quality and quantity that the sector is lacking. I think this
\nis the reason why it (local gastronomy) has been left behind."<\/p>\n
She urges the upgrading of local culinary education and
\nencouragement for people to serve local food when entertaining at
\nhome, especially with the proliferation of restaurants with
\nWestern cuisine on the menu.<\/p>\n
"I'm very proud of former tourism minister Joop Ave, who
\nshowed a lot of support for the promotion of local dishes and the
\ndevelopment of local gastronomy. He had jajanan pasar
\n(traditional snacks) like serabi (a traditional pancake made from
\nrice flour), served for Queen Elizabeth during her visit to
\nIndonesia," she said.<\/p>\n
Local ingredients must also be given attention, particularly
\nas spices and herbs are increasingly championed for their health
\nbenefits.<\/p>\n
In her recently launched book, Upaboga Di Indonesia (an
\nencyclopedia of food items and a collection of recipes), she
\nprovides a glossary of information on ingredients and their role
\nin local cuisine.<\/p>\n
"As for the recipes, the book contains mainly Javanese dishes,
\nbut hopefully other people would explore food in their respective
\nregion and put them in a book."<\/p>\n
Her one major career regret is giving up her position as
\neditor in chief of Selera food magazine, which she had helped to
\nestablish, in 1995.<\/p>\n
"I thought I was bored but I wasn't. That sort of thing
\nhappens. I just thought I need new challenges (in gastronomy)."<\/p>\n
In her recollections, one can immediately tell that she
\ntreasures every experience, including seemingly trivial things
\nwhich have nevertheless enriched her eager mind, and that she
\nnever wants to give up the things she loves.<\/p>\n
She is still hungry to learn.<\/p>\n
"I think I was born too early, I still want to see the world,"
\nshe said.<\/p>",
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