VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOINews, Jakarta - Under the cloudy and rainy skyline of Lisbon this fall, hundreds of Portuguese citizens gathered in the backyard of the Indonesian Embassy in Lisbon. The long queue proved that the passion of Portuguese citizens to enjoy Indonesian cuisine remains great.

The "Mercado Culinário Indonésio 2023: Outono", which returned after a hugely successful spring event in May 2023, is now a much-anticipated annual event. Not only locals, but also many diplomatic partners and government agencies in Portugal attend and enjoy Indonesian food and cultural performances.

First introduced in the spring of 2017, this event was initially only held once a year. However, seeing the increasing enthusiasm of the Portuguese people, since 2022 the event has been held twice a year, every spring and fall. In fact, the number of visitors continues to increase, a testament to the fact that Indonesian cuisine is increasingly finding a place in the hearts of the Portuguese people.

It was not difficult to find Indonesia's favorite culinary dish at this event. There are about 50 variants of Indonesian dishes, ranging from Chicken Satay, Fried Rice, Rendang, Soto, Bakso, Gado-gado to market snacks such as bakwan, stuffed tofu, risoles, onde-onde, sticky rice, cimol and many other snacks that arouse the curiosity of every visitor. There is also a wide selection of refreshing traditional drinks such as es soda gembira, es teler, es cendol, es kopyor, es jeli kelapa, bandrek, bajigur and others.

João Filipe from Oeiras, one of Mercado Culinario Indonesio's loyal visitors every year, expressed his love for Indonesian cuisine. "I always try new dishes every time I visit here. It's like visiting a food market in Indonesia without having to fly there."

One of the diplomats from Australia, Jess Healey, was seen refilling her plate several times with satay lontong from the Selera Indonesia booth run by the DWP of the Indonesian Embassy in Lisbon. The culinary event reminded her of her vacation to Indonesia last summer. "It's great to be able to experience Indonesian food and warmth like this in Portugal". Heidi from Egypt and Asha from India, who came with their families, enjoyed the meatballs and chicken satay while chatting under the tent provided by the committee.

In addition to culinary promotions, the yard of the Indonesian Embassy in Lisbon, which was packed with around 350 visitors, was also decorated with traditional dance performances. Panyembrama Dance, Dayak Enggang Dance, and Dindin Badindin Dance were all presented with passion and warmth. Especially for the Dindin Badindin Dance, the performance was presented by a group of little dancers fostered by the Indonesian Embassy in Lisbon.

The Indonesian Ambassador to Portugal, in his speech, expressed his pride. "Our goal is not only to introduce flavors, but also culture. We want to present Indonesia to the people of Portugal."

The Indonesian Embassy's counterpart from the President's office, a number of ambassadors and diplomats from friendly countries such as India, Thailand, Cabo Verde, Timor Leste, Australia, Ireland, Finland, England, Peru, Egypt, and Serbia were present and enjoyed the Indonesian dishes. They expressed their admiration for the diversity of Indonesian cuisine, the interesting presentation of the event, and the typical Indonesian hospitality they felt while visiting the Mercado Culinario Indonesio Outono 2023.

This positive impact is not only felt in the form of attendance and enthusiasm. There is an economic value that grows with the popularity of Indonesian cuisine in Portugal. Demand for Indonesian specialties has increased, encouraging economic cooperation between the two countries through export-import activities.

The two countries, which may be geographically distant, are now closer thanks to culinary and cultural ties. Perhaps this is one proof that food has the power to unite people from different parts of the world.

The Mercado atmosphere became even more festive with the distribution of quiz prizes and door prizes to visitors, ranging from dining vouchers at restaurants, Indonesian souvernirs, Indonesian spa vouchers, to hotel stay prizes.

Surely this excitement will be a special memory that will always be remembered and looked forward to by the loyal visitors of Mercado Culinario Indonesio. (Indonesian Embassy in Lisbon)