Born of a family selling Bali's famous roast suckling pig, Henry Alexie Bloem, Chairman of the Indonesian Chef Association, has always loved the flavorful cuisine of Indonesia since he was young, which inspired him to do something about preserving traditional recipes. Wherever he worked as executive chef in starred hotels, Henry, 45, always tried to serve an assortment of Indonesian fare and share his knowledge to a younger generation.
In 2003, Henry set up the Indonesian Chef Association (ICA), which today claims a membership of 1,800 chefs from around the country. The mission of this organization is to promote and innovate Indonesian traditional cuisine as well as to empower local chefs. Tempo correspondent Rofiqi Hasan met Henry, who was awarded Indonesian Chef of the Year 2002 and 2003 at the Patra Hotel in Tuban, Bali, two weeks ago. Excerpts:
How did you get the idea of setting up the ICA?
There were only a few local chefs in the past, only in Bali and Jakarta. During the 1980s, some of the provinces set up their own chef associations. When they met, they would bring their own culinary ideas. In 2003, they all met in Semarang, where they asked themselves: why not unite? We should not lag behind other countries. But the idea became real only in 2007. Chefs from 17 provinces got together and formed a vision and mission to introduce Indonesia's cuisine and to empower Indonesians involved in the culinary business.
Why are you so enthusiastic about promoting Indonesian cuisine?
I am a lover of gastronomy and was raised with an Indonesian 'palate'. Indonesian food is so varied. In Bali, some of the unique dishes are ayam betutu (spicy roast chicken) and roast suckling pig. In Yogyakarta, I enjoy gudeg (coconut-stewed jackfruit) straight from the sultan's palace. The chef there is a very old lady, who cooks in a very traditional kitchen, with earthen pots and wood-fired stoves. From her, I learned the secret of successful cooking using the ancient methods. I was convinced this must be promoted. And I firmly believe that the flavors of our cuisine should not be altered, such as making things less spicy to suit Western palates. We only need to be creative in the presentation.
How should we serve our foods?
I use tricks my mother taught me. When I was small, she sold roast suckling pig but she had no store. She made rice served with thinly sliced pork and vegetables, packed them in portions and sold them at the port area. It sold very well. Variations of food presentation is what I serve to hotel guests. For example, we make lumpia (Indonesian eggroll) but the filling will be roast pork or spaghetti with balado (chili pepper) sauce. Basically, we must dare to experiment without changing the flavor.
What exactly is the ICA doing to introduce Indonesian cuisine?
We hold classes and culinary competitions at the provincial and national levels with Indonesian dishes as themes. Seven of our members working overseas have been appointed to represent our organization. This is effective. As chefs, they can change menus, and that is the time when they can include Indonesian food. For example, they can offer an Indonesian night during the August 17 Independence Day celebration. They report the results to our organization.
What problems do you encounter in your efforts?
Many chefs feel pride in cooking Western or Chinese food and they tend to forget the cuisine they inherited from their ancestors. But I am seeing a positive change. From the 1980s to 1990s, the local menu at hotels and restaurants probably consisted of just fried rice Today, the offering is more varied. Maybe because we are loving our country more.
This interview is part of Tempo English Weekly's 1402th edition Outreach section, available on print.
