Dazzling the Portuguese Community with Culinary Delights and ASEAN Cultural Diversity at Mercado Culinário Indonésio 2023

Thepresidentpost.id - ​Lisbon, Portugal - Amidst the beautiful spring season, Mercado Culinário Indonésio 2023 (the Indonesian Culinary Market 2023) was successfully held on Saturday, May 27, 2023. Taking place in the courtyard of the Indonesian Embassy in Lisbon, this annual culinary event was aimed to promote Indonesian cuisine in Portugal. This year's event was quite special as it invited participation from ASEAN countries, namely the Philippines and Thailand, which are members of the ACLP (ASEAN Committee in Lisbon Portugal) association.

Kicked off by the Indonesian Ambassador to Portugal, Mr Rudy Alfonso, along with the Philippine Ambassador (Celia Anna Feria) and the Thai Ambassador (Krongkanit Rakcharoen), this event provided an opportunity for Portuguese citizens to explore Indonesia's diverse cuisine and the two other ASEAN countries. The event serves as an effective diplomatic platform to introduce a positive image of Indonesia and enhance the Indonesia-Portugal economic and cultural relations.

The event was attended by more than 850 visitors who wanted to experience the presented culinary delights. There were around 39 types of Indonesian food served, ranging from nasi goreng (fried rice), sate ayam (skewered and grilled chicken), rendang (meat dish from Minangkabau, West Sumatra), mie goreng (fried noodles), soto Lamongan (chicken soup from Lamongan, East Java), batagor (fried fish dumpling with peanut sauce), bakso (meatball soup), and gado-gado (vegetable salad with peanut sauce), to various types of fried foods and snacks. Various refreshing drinks were also served, such as es teler (fruit and crushed ice drink), es campur (mixed fruit and jelly dessert), es cendol (coconut milk and green rice flower jelly drink), and es buah (mixed fruit bits drink), complementing the authentic Indonesian menu. In addition, the Philippines introduced their traditional foods and drinks such as adobo chicken (stew dish), halo-halo (shaved ice dessert), laing (shredded taro leaf dish), and polvoron (shortbread cookie), while Thailand brought dishes such as spring rolls, papaya salad, Thai fried chicken, and sticky rice.

Aside from culinary delights, the event was also enlivened by cultural performances. A group of students from the Faculty of Literature at the University of Lisbon played the angklung (musical instrument from bamboo) to the tune of the Portuguese song, "Pica do Sete", and then performed traditional Indonesian dances with a medley of songs from various regions in Indonesia. Meanwhile, the Philippines performed the Kappa Malong Malong dance, and Thailand performed the Seng Ka Po dance. At the end of the event, Indonesia closed the performance session with the captivating Serampang Laut dance that mesmerised the audience.

To promote Indonesian tourism, Mercado Culinário Indonésio 2023 also featured Martin Soares travel agent and Turkish Airlines. To further increase the visitor's enthusiasm, Turkish Airlines gave away a door prize of a round-trip ticket from Lisbon to Istanbul for one lucky winner. Excitement filled the air as Ambassador Rudy announced the draw results and enthusiastically applauded to congratulate the winner.

The response from the Portuguese community towards this event was very positive. One of the visitors, Mrs Ana Gomes, former Portuguese Ambassador to Indonesia, shared her thoughts on the Mercado Culinário Indonésio so far. "This event is very positive, it is a good way for Indonesia to promote its cuisine and culture in Portugal. Personally, this is the second time I have come to the MCI event to satisfy my longing for Indonesian cuisine after returning to Portugal," said Mrs Ana warmly during the event.

Ambassador Rudy explained that when it comes to cuisine, "tasting is believing". Therefore, he expressed his appreciation for the Indonesian community in Portugal who have supported the Indonesian Embassy in preparing a variety of Indonesian culinary offerings to be introduced to the Portuguese audience. Ambassador Rudy also highlighted that his efforts to invite the Philippines and Thailand, which received an outstanding response from visitors, show the high level of solidarity among ASEAN country representatives