| Description |
Indonesia's recent history shows the unambiguous intention of the state to unite different regions through the building of a national identity, first against the Dutch colonizers, and then against regional separatist movements. The Indonesian government's study of the food cultural practices of different regions of Indonesia was directly in line with these intentions and with the goals of the Pancasila, the philosophical foundation of the Indonesian state, which lists nationalism or national unity as one of the five principles. The purpose of the Indonesian government's Proyek Inventarisasi dan Pembinaan Nilai-Nilai Budaya (IPNB), or Inventory and Development of Cultural Values Project, was to serve as a tool for all Indonesians to become familiar with the great diversity that exists within its borders and to affirm the legitimacy of the state throughout the country. This paper looked more closely at the details of methods of preparation collected in the IPNB series, and in Indonesian cookbooks, to analyze recipes that fall into the category of national cuisine. I chose three regions to examine-Nusa Tenggara, West Sumatra, and Java-and three national recipes to compare across these regions. This research paper carried out an explicit regional comparison to determine if regional specificity was discernable in methods of preparation. The examination of preparation methods of the three national recipes-satay (sate, satai), grilled/roasted fish (ikan panggang/bakar), and bundled filling (pepes, palai)-showed that methods of preparation were not clearly able to identify a region for a given recipe, which shows that the Indonesian government's goal of strengthening national unity through the building of a national identity made up of constructed traditions, like national cuisine, is problematic. |
