The Indonesian and Indonesian culinary heritage is deeply rooted in the Netherlands
Eventful history, extensive cuisine
Helena Smit provides the interviews and background stories. We learn about the culture around it from various things. “Indonesian and Indonesian cuisine are so common in Dutch culture,” says Helena in Mangiare!. “Every city has a shop. Sometimes even every village. Everyone is familiar with it in one way or another.
There are so many people in the Netherlands who have ties with Indonesia or the Dutch East Indies. There are many Dutch people here. It’s such an extensive culture, extensive cuisine. There is enormous passion in the food. What appears to the ‘outside world’ to be one pot wet, is not. Because of its eventful history, different groups look at their kitchen through their own glasses. And that view is not the same. It doesn’t matter, that’s just beautiful.”
Authentic
This changing view is visible when everyone claims authenticity. Helena is not a fan of the word ‘authentic’. “That’s used so often. It doesn’t say much. ‘Your authentic isn’t mine.’ Everyone actually has an authentic reception.
I’ve seen regular reruns between people about authentic recipes. That’s that passion again. I really like to see that again. But I think it would mean a lot if we say: this is mine authentic reception. That you keep it to yourself. Or that we leave the whole word alone.”