Indonesian Gourmet Festival in Beijing Promotes Archipelago's Culinary Riches

The Indonesian Gourmet Festival opened in Beijing on Wednesday, a collaboration between the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Beijing and the Grand Hyatt Beijing Oriental Plaza, commencing a festival that will run until 28 June 2026. Indonesian Ambassador to China, Djauhari Oratmangun, officially opened the festival themed ‘An Archipelago of Flavours’ in front of diplomatic partners, media and businesspeople who attended to enliven the event. ‘Indonesia’s comprehensive strategic partnership has shown positive improvement through trade figures exceeding USD 167 billion last year and investment reaching USD 7.5 billion. But behind the numbers is a strong relationship of friendship between communities. Food is a connecting bridge that strengthens that friendship,’ Ambassador Djauhari stated in his opening remarks. He noted that food has proven to be a bridge connecting Indonesia with China and various parts of the world for centuries. ‘Indonesian spices have also coloured the flavours of various types of dishes in different corners of the world, including China. Ancient trading ships crossed the oceans, sending Chinese silk and ceramics to Indonesia, while Indonesia’s precious spices, including nutmeg, cloves, and pepper, spread not only to China but also to Europe,’ he said. According to the Ambassador, the Gourmet Festival in Beijing is a celebration of Indonesia’s rich flavours representing the country’s wealth of spices and culture. Various dishes carry unique regional stories, reflecting the hereditary traditions of Indonesia’s diverse regions. Three chefs from Indonesia were brought in directly for the festival, which will run for nearly a month in Beijing: Ibnu Hajar and Kiky Arie Morfi from the Grand Hyatt Jakarta, and Ari Aprianto from the Park Hyatt Jakarta. They will present a range of signature dishes for the people of Beijing, such as rendang, sop konro, gudeg, ayam woku, bebek betutu, nasi goreng rendang, nasi lapola, gado-gado, tahu gejrot, asinan, and various snacks and beverages including pisang goreng, klepon, es teler, and es cendol. Ibnu Hajar, one of the attending chefs, expressed his pride in presenting Indonesian food in Beijing, remarking that it was his first opportunity to visit China and he hoped the Chinese people would enjoy the prepared dishes. Daphne Hsiao, General Manager of Grand Hyatt Beijing, expressed appreciation for the collaboration, expressing hope the festival would further strengthen the friendship between Indonesia and China. Chef Luka from the Grand Hyatt Beijing separately shared that the festival specifically aims to showcase the diversity of flavours from various islands, including Sumatra, Java, Bali, Sulawesi and Maluku. One visitor, Chang Si Cong, stated that all the prepared Indonesian food was delicious and richly spiced, but favoured the rendang. The festival opening was enlivened by a traditional gamelan music performance combined with traditional Chinese musical instruments, the erhu and pipa, guided by Risnandar, a gamelan music teacher at the renowned Central Conservatory of Music in China. The songs played were diverse, featuring Indonesian numbers such as ‘Bengawan Solo’ and ‘Ayo Mama’, which are also popular in China, as well as ‘Ayam den Lapeh’, ‘Bungong Jeumpa’, ‘Sajojo’, and Chinese songs including ‘Moulihua’ and ‘Yue Liang Dai Biao Wo de Xin’. At the festival, the Indonesian Embassy also promoted Indonesian products such as kopi luwak, ijen and kerinci coffee, and other Indonesian food products that have entered the Chinese market, including yogurt drinks, coconut water, wafers and crackers. Beyond promoting Indonesian flavours to the people of Beijing, the festival is also intended as a momentum to celebrate cultural cooperation and friendship between the people of both nations.