Festival promotes Indonesian cuisine in South Korea

Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – Who thinks that there are more than 50 Indonesian mosques in South Korea whose people are not so concerned with religions.

Almost all of the mosques were built by Indonesians especially migrant workers with their own money.

The Indonesian mosques also have a number of cooks who play a big role in serving Indonesians who miss the country’s dishes, said a statement from the Indonesian Embassy in Seoul which was received in Jakarta on Monday.

The foods of the cooks served at the Indonesian mosques in the country of ginseng are enjoyed by worshipers from all over the world, especially when celebrating Islamic holidays.

Therefore, the Indonesian Embassy in Seoul held a cooking competition for the Indonesian mosques’ cooks, which is part of the 2019 Indonesian Festival in the country of the “oppas” (the nickname for South Korean brothers) taking place on September 20-22.

Dozens of participants competed to be the best in presenting their such culinary works as soto betawi, kimchi fried rice and japjae or Korean noodles, which were tested by three professional judges, namely Indonesian culinary expert William Wongso, Korean celebrity chef Jia Choi and kimchi master chef  Lee Ha Yeon.

The Indonesian Ambassador to South Korea, Umar Hadi, expressed hope that the cooking competition can increase the participants’ confidence of entrepreneurship by among others opening restaurants or other culinary businesses.

“The main thing is how to create business opportunities,” said the ambassador.

The South Korean people in Cheonggye Plaza had the opportunity to enjoy the works of the participants who combined Indonesian and Korean tastes.

The visitors said that harmonious cultural diversity is also felt in Indonesian cuisine that combines a variety of spices but are still balanced in taste.

Indonesian cuisine is starting to be in high demand by South Korean people who  now easily find restaurants with Indonesian menus, especially in areas where the  Indonesian people live.

Reporting by Indonesia Window