VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

In general, gastronomy is a science that discusses good eating habits or it’s also associated with something related to the delicacy of food and beverage. However, according to Vita Datau, Founder of the Indonesia Gastronomy Network, gastronomy is not only a matter of food and beverage served on the table, but also a science that studies the details of the story behind the food itself from the history of food, the origin of food ingredients, processing, cooking methods until how the food is eaten. So, gastronomy is an ecosystem that includes everything about food from upstream to downstream. In addition, gastronomy also looks at how food is a part of the lifestyle of society, if there is food that is consumed for generations. Gastronomy also looks at culture, how traditions are related to food. Take for example; food is also used in traditional ceremonies and offerings.

Recently, Salatiga City has been proposed to be nominated as a Creative City of Gastronomy to the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN). The certainty of the proposal was obtained through a letter from the Indonesian National Commission for UNESCO (KNIU). Seen from various aspects, Salatiga City is considered an ideal city as a Gastronomic City in Indonesia. The choice of Salatiga City as a Gastronomic City is logical. In terms of location, it is very strategic for tourists to visit. It shares borders with three important cities in Central Java and Yogyakarta. They are Semarang, Surakarta, and Yogyakarta. Meanwhile, in terms of beauty, Salatiga City is quite beautiful. In fact, during colonial rule, it was nicknamed: Salatiga Dea Schoonnste Staad Van Midden Java, or Salatiga the Most Beautiful City in Central Java. In addition, it has also long been the home of ethnic; it has its own strength in culinary terms. There are various special dishes that are the mainstay of Salatiga City, including beef satay, opor duck, soto esto, gecok goat, round sekoteng, enting-enting gepuk, and the iconic Salatiga City’s specialty dish is Tumpang Koyor. Salatiga City is the second oldest city in Indonesia; it’s 1271 years old. So, there are a lot of kinds of food that have existed for a long time and can be seen from the gastronomic perspective that supports the nomination of UCCN Gastronomy Heritage.

Salatiga City has potential not only culinary, but also diversity. It is a place where 196,082 people with various ethnicities mingle or interact together. This multi-ethnic population makes the gastronomic potential in Salatiga City very high. In the socio-cultural field, until now acculturation in Salatiga City is still on-going. This makes the community more appreciative of diversity and tolerance. The acceptance of diversity can also be good news for tourists who will visit and feel the friendliness of the people. The potential of Salatiga City cannot be separated from the achievements it has made. It has been awarded as the Most Tolerant City in Indonesia, Child Friendly City, Human Rights Friendly City, and other awards. In addition, to get to a world-class Gastronomic City, there are many things that are prepared. One of them is ecosystem preparation, starting from the construction of traditional markets, local culinary education to the improvement of service quality, cleanliness, health, and strengthening other ecosystems. Although ecosystem development is still on-going, this effort does not need to start from the beginning. Because the gastronomic ecosystem in Salatiga City has developed very creatively. This strength will be the initial capital, as well as the most potential enchantment for the success of Salatiga City's journey as a Gastronomic City.