Jakarta (ANTARA) – Racers participating in the 2022 Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia were gifted Indonesian spices as a souvenir to promote the local enterprises’ products and introduce the diverse Indonesian spices, according to a government minister. President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) presented the spices as a souvenir to the MotoGP racers in Mandalika, West Nusa Tenggara, on Sunday (Mar 20).
Coordinating Minister for Maritime and Investment Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan stated that the souvenir was presented under the coordination of the Indonesian Food and Beverage Industry Association (GAPMMI) as an expression of their support to the event.
“The souvenir we presented comprised various Indonesian spices, such as rendang spices, soto spices, chicken porridge, crackers, fresh spices, and coffee products,” Pandjaitan noted in his statement here on Monday.
For the last two years, GAPMMI has been the government’s strategic partner in the “Indonesia Spice Up the World” (ISUTW) programme to promote Indonesian cuisine in the global market.
Apart from promoting brands and products of Indonesian seasoning and spices to the global market, the programme also targeted an export value of US$2 billion and four thousand Indonesia-themed restaurants in the global market by 2024.
The coordinating minister noted that the promotional programme could bolster the development of Indonesia-themed restaurants overseas and enhance Indonesia’s gastrodiplomacy.
“Through the development and reactivation of Indonesian-themed restaurants overseas, it will bolster our food exports, particularly of Indonesian seasoning and spices products,” Pandjaitan remarked.
He highlighted that several Indonesian foods, such as rendang, fried rice, satay, soto, and gado-gado salad, were introduced to the global audience through various events.
Several Indonesian spices, such as pepper, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, cinnamon, and vanilla, have also been promoted through its utilization as ingredients of Indonesian foods served during the event, he added.
As Indonesian spices had lured European sailors to the Indonesian archipelago in the past, the “Indonesian Spice Up The World” promotion during the Mandalika MotoGP is expected to attract foreign tourists to revisit Indonesia in the future to enjoy more Indonesian foods, Pandjaitan noted.
“We hope that through the MotoGP event, the ISUTW event would also attract foreign tourists to revisit Indonesia to enjoy Indonesian foods,” the coordinating minister remarked.
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