Cassava Roti, Menbud Fadli Zone Raise Local Food Values Through Collaboration With Cuba And Venezuela

JAKARTA Cassava, not only food, but also symbols of cultural identity, resilience, and creativity. Seeing the huge potential of cassava, the Ministry of Culture affirms its commitment to building friendship and cultural cooperation with friendly countries through the holding of the Cassava Bread: A Celebration of Common Heritage through Local Food Traditions of Cuba, Indonesia, and Venezuela event at the Indonesian National Gallery.

On this occasion, Minister of Culture Fadli Zon also conveyed the Indonesian government's strategic steps to collaborate inclusively with Cuba and Venezuela.

Involving Cuba and Venezuela, this event is proof that the three countries have a shared awareness of the culinary history that exceeds geographical boundaries. In his remarks, the Minister of Culture Fadli Zon conveyed the entanglement of Cuba, Indonesia, and Venezuela in the field of gastronomi, especially cassava as foodstuffs.

"This event celebrates our joint culinary heritage rooted in cassava, as well as establishing a cross-border friendship through taste and cultural values," explained Menbud Fadli.

Menbud Fadli also said that from Majene, West Sulawesi, jepa was presented: flat bread from cassava fried on clay or iron pans. Served with salted fish and chili sauce, but not just food, but a symbol of local identity. Furthermore, enbal from the Kei Islands, Maluku: an extraordinary tradition that processes toxic cassava (Manihut Glaziovii) carefully to remove cyanide content.

"Through this meeting, we want to highlight that traditional Indonesian foods not only reflect diversity and health, but also contain ancestral wisdom and deep cultural resilience," said Menbud Fadli.

Indonesia itself has a unique history in cassava-based food processing. Jepa is a thin bread that resembles cassava flour from West Sulawesi and usually boils on a hot plate.

Meanwhile, enbal is a type of cassava bread from Maluku which is generally consumed as the main food. Interestingly, this way of making and presenting jepa and enbal is similar to cassava bread from Cuba and Venezuela, which shows the cultural linkage in the world's culinary realm.

We convey that the cultural communities in Majene and the Kei Islands have aspirations to join the determination of cassava bread by UNESCO. This requires the approval and support of countries that have already been registered, including Cuba and Venezuela. For this reason, we sincerely ask for your willingness to collaborate," explained Menbud Fadli in front of the Ambassador and diplomatic representative of friendly countries.

Meanwhile, Venezuelan Ambassador to Indonesia, Enrique Antonio Acuna Mendoza said that casabe, a traditional food from Latin American native culture made of cassava, is not only food, but also a symbol of cultural identity, resilience, and creativity.

Closing his remarks, Menbud Fadli said, 'Let us unite in the spirit of the 2003 UNESCO Convention to maintain a cultural heritage that lives for future generations, through community-based cooperation and the spirit of cross-border mutual cooperation,' concluded Menbud Fadli Zon.