Specialty Food Magazine

SPRING 2014

Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.

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even more than India," says Emily Sutanto, who founded Bloom Agro in 2009. Exporting 150 tons of rice each year, the company works with 2,300 small-scale farmers who are also reviving heirloom red and black varieties, known to be more f lavorful and textured than white rice, and targeting a health-conscious audience that gravitates toward quinoa. A further attribute of black rice, Sutanto notes, is that it boasts the same type of antioxidant-laden pigmenta- tion as blueberries. Javara, founded in 2009 by Helianti Hilman, is another Indonesian-based company focusing on biodiversity, promoting heritage rice (including black, purple, pink, and red), gluten-free organic palm f lour, banana f lour, purple yam f lour, cold-pressed coconut oil, organic nutmeg jam, and cashew butter spread. The products are exported in bulk to private-label companies in the U.S., Canada, Japan, and Finland, among other countries. "This year we are looking forward to selling our products under our own brand as we want to tell the stories of the faces and origins behind them," says Hilman. Also part of Javara's portfolio are teas made from heirloom spices and island-specific products such as Bali Artisan Sea Salt and Flores Island Organic Cashews. Back to Roots—With Help from Abroad Not so long ago the culinary scene of Indonesia had undergone an unusual shift. An American named Karen Waddell was not enchant- ed by the country's food when she moved to Ubud, Bali, in 1985. "I thought it was gross," she recalls. "Lots of instant noodles and fried rice. Cooks were slicing up ingredients Chinese-style instead of grinding pastes, not valuing their own traditions." Luckily, her Balinese mother-in-law hadn't forgotten time- honored family recipes, which later led Waddell to co-found a res- taurant in Ubud in 1997. Kafe Batan Waru showcased farm-to-table ingredients and labor-intensive spice pastes and peanut sauces and caused such a stir that soon the country's five-star hotel chains were sending their chefs to study in Ubud so they could feature genuine Indonesian dishes on their menus, too. Waddell subsequently co- founded three more restaurants, launched a catering company called Bali Good Food, and bought a farm, which provided additional ultra-fresh sourcing. Today, thanks in part to her pioneering efforts, authentic Indonesian restaurants are scattered throughout the islands, in turn giving rise to a new generation of farmers. Another American transplant making waves in Indonesia is pastry chef Will Goldfarb. Last year he opened a small restaurant and dessert laboratory, Mejekawi, a modern glass box that sits atop the celebrated restaurant Ku De Ta in Bali. The chef has long been in the vanguard, having done stints at El Bulli in Spain and at several top New York City restaurants. "There is nothing more fundamen- tal in pastry than sugar," he says of what distinguishes Indonesia as a prime location for a pastry chef. "Here we are in Bali, at the source." GLOSSARY: INDONESIAN INGREDIENTS & DISHES Babi guling: roast suckling pig bathed in coconut water and rubbed with chile, lemongrass, turmeric, salam leaves, galangal, and garlic; enormously popular dish in Bali Bakso: spicy soup with meatballs made from chicken, beef, pork, or a combination, topped with egg, wontons, and fried shallots; often sold by street vendors Gado-gado: meaning "mix-mix," a multi-ingredient vegetable salad dressed with peanut sauce Galangal: in the ginger family, but more floral and usually eaten fresh, not dried or ground Gorengan: crunchy fried nuggets of anything from tofu to sweet potatoes to bananas; typically sold on street carts Nasi goreng: fried rice flavored with sweet soy sauce, considered Indonesia's national dish Rendang: long-cooked, tender beef curry often flavored with banana peppers, lemongrass, and coconut milk Salam leaf: similar to bay leaf and used whole, with flavor released during long simmering in stews; along with galangal and lemongrass, part of the "holy trinity" that underpins every Indonesian dish Sambal: fiery, chile-based condiment ground with lime juice, sugar, salt, and fermented shrimp paste; a staple on every table Satay: marinated meat skewers cooked over hot coals and doused with peanut sauce 68 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE specialtyfood.com cuisineSpotlight_indonesia.indd 68 3/17/14 8:17 AM

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