Fadli Zon: Minang Culinary Becomes The Face Of Indonesian Culture
JAKARTA - Minang culinary delights are known not only delicious, but also full of cultural and philosophical values. Its unique taste is rich in spices and its unique presentation makes Minang culinary with great potential to become the face of Indonesian gastronomi in the eyes of the world.
The Minister of Culture, Fadli Zon, highlighted Minangkabau's cultural wealth, including its culinary delights, as a strong representation of Indonesia's identity. In a cultural meeting with culinary figures such as Chef Ragil and William Wongso, Fadli said that the regional culinary heritage cannot be separated from the identity of the people.
"The Culture Advancement Object (OPK) covers many things, and local culinary is one of ten important elements in culture. Arts are indeed part of culture, but not the only one," he said at the Cultural Gathering of the Minang Family Association (IKM) which is also coupled with Halal Bihalal in Jakarta.
As the General Chair of the IKM DPP, Fadli hopes that IKM will continue to grow and maintain Minangkabau cultural values that are closely related to customs, religion, and culture. He called West Sumatra an area with a fairly high number of cultural heritages, and also has many cultural heritage sites.
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In his capacity as Minister of Culture, he has also inaugurated a number of museums in West Sumatra, such as the Indonesian Literature Museum at the Taufiq Ismail Poem House, the PDRI Museum in Koto Tinggi, and the Tan Malaka Museum at the figure's birth home.
Fadli also mentioned the big role of Minang figures in Indonesian history. He said, of the four most known figures of the Republic, three of them came from Minangkabau, namely Mohammad Hatta, Sutan Sjahrir, and Tan Malaka, apart from Soekarno.
"There is no doubt about the nationalism of the Minang people. They are at the forefront of establishing and defending this Republic," he said.
Closing his statement, Fadli revealed plans to strengthen the historical narrative of the Emergency Government of the Republic of Indonesia (PDRI) through a new history book that will be published in August. He emphasized that PDRI's history is an important part of the struggle for independence that should be remembered by the younger generation.