Sandiaga Uno's Strategy To Make Balinese Culinary Global

JAKARTA - Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy (Menparekraf) Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno encourages the potential for developing the Balinese culinary industry to be known abroad through the "Indonesia Spice Up The World" (ISUTW) program that has been promoted by the government.

Sandiaga believes that Balinese restaurants can also benefit from the ISUTW program. Moreover, Bali has become a global icon of tourism destinations.

"With 'Indonesia Spice Up The World', Balinese cuisine is certainly one of the best because the 'brand' is well known, namely Bali as a tourist destination," said Sandiaga, Wednesday.

For information, ISUTW is a government program that involves cross-ministerial/institutional efforts to improve the marketing of Indonesian spice products or processed foods and spices in a number of potential countries.

Sandiaga said the ISUTW program is expected to strengthen the Indonesian culinary industry to be better known in the world through gastrodiplomacy efforts. The program, he continued, would maximize 4,000 Indonesian restaurants overseas and boost exports of spices and herbs to US$2 billion.

Through the ISUTW program, Sandiaga said the government is embracing diaspora abroad with a collaboration pattern so that Indonesian cuisine, especially in this case Bali, will be better known abroad.

"We have diversity. So it's not only Indonesia as a whole, but we also have Balinese cuisine (Balinese cuisine) so that this is a leading gastronomic destination for our (culinary industry) revival," he said.

Sandiaga said that there are at least two challenges faced so that Indonesian cuisine becomes better known in foreign countries, one of which is the limited number of airlines that open direct flights to Bali.

Second, continued Sandiaga, there is still no availability of typical Indonesian spices or herbs in major overseas markets. According to him, Bali has the potential to become a "hub" or center so that spices or herbs can be packaged and shipped abroad to support the ISUTW program.

The ISUTW program features five Indonesian culinary specialties that are rich in spices, including rendang, fried rice seasoning, satay, soto, and gado-gado. According to Sandiaga, culinary from Bali can also have the potential to become superior, one of which is a variety of special chili sauces.