Food For The President?

Of many ways to encounter different cultures, food is a great way to do so. As a food enthusiast, I strive to keep my food preference to be open to many culture. Of course, by doing so, I may encounter one or two extreme unfamiliar occasions, but it's all worth the try. Such concept is seemingly well understood by the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta. As many of us expect the arrival of The 44th U.S. President, the embassy is holding a poll to decide which food is to be served to represent Indonesia.

Now, one may argue that the president has enough time to encounter our culture (and by that: our food as well), but I strongly believe that those years are arguably memorable enough. Ones must understand that the cultural experience the president had was merely based on his childhood experience. Yes, you may say that childhood memory is the strongest memory of all, but doesn't it also the weakest of all? Not to mention, the president spent more time on the other continent compared to his time in Indonesia. Thus, letting the people to choose what food to represent our culture might be a good idea after all.

To my foreigners friends, I bragged on how Indonesians are blessed with delicious exotic food. I understand that to many, our food is easily considered as strange. But, through series of well selected food, I proudly gained my friends acceptance towards Indonesian food. The key to win their heart (or shall I say: their bellies) is to choose the food that are traditional yet mildly flavored (i.e.: Soto Semarang). To those who are daring enough to encounter greater adventure, a strong favorite: Rendang is always a winner. NEVERTHELESS, one must carefully select the vendor. No matter how enthusiastically capable the foreigner is, I believe that a conservative less spicy rendang shall do the trick better than a regular hot rendang. This is due to the fact that ones may never be able to measure the other's tolerance upon hot stuffs.

In other words, boring is good. When boring is not good anymore, then you advance to a greater distance. However, no matter how great the distance is, I strongly recommend the hosts to draw a line. The host shall never cross several critical lines. No matter how good it is for us, durian is never an option for foreigners. Most of the time the scent are simply intolerable for them. Another line might call for avoidance upon petai and jengkol. Therefore, I believe that the host is fully responsible for a careful thought upon the selection of the menu. The host must always keep in his/her mind that generally accepted taste are more preferable than simply local favorite.

Even so, I believe that rendang is a perfect cultural representative of Indonesia. It is widely known and accessible throughout the nation and the distinctive flavor, on my experience, leave a strong image on Indonesian food for my foreigner friends. Rendang's ingredients are perfect to map out our geographic condition: heavy coconut milk as a result of miles of seashore, while mountainous areas ensure the generous amount of spice. Thus, I insists on introducing rendang as a part of our identity.

I understand that Indonesia is blessed with abundant variety of food and therefore it is always preferable to introduce this vast variety as much. However, considering the limited time the president has, I believe that the food that is going to be served shall instantly leave a deep impression upon Indonesian food. Towards this criteria, I believe that rendang shall serve as a good cultural ambassador for the time being.

Selamat makan, Pak Presiden!