One time I went for an interview and the job was exciting because it's my dream job. The interviewer was asking me lots of questions but I'm not a good talker (might need to fix that) and she might get the idea that I wasn't smart in the field.
She asked me whether I can cook or not and what kind of food I love the most. I told her immediately "ITALIAN FOOD".
Then...I wasn't sure if it was a mockery or what but she asked me "By Italian food you mean pasta? Cause that's not cooking" and I believe she was refering to amateur kind of pasta but I was confused. I'm smart in this field, and I know lots of Italian cuisine but somehow she wasn't impressed by it. Maybe she was really great she didn't see my potential. But that's okay ain't gonna talk about it, instead I'm going to talk how in this country, to understand a good food you need to be in an exclusive circle.
There's a phenomenon when becoming a food instagrammer is really important in Indonesia. In just one year, tons of food reviewers account are dominating the Instagram world. I see the phenomenon is also happening in Thailand.
Which is a very great thing. It's a fortunate opportunity for the people who's in the business. Online food sellers are on fire with their sales, natuurlijk. New restaurants are racing to introduce their menu via Food Instagrammers. Isn't life getting gewd?
Then comes a time where it's getting unbearable. Somehow people understand the real essence of true cuisine. I saw one video on Instagram where the reviewer said that the matcha dessert had a umami taste. I've tasted that dessert, it's an insult in my face because I love the dessert and that's not a proper word to describe how magnificent the taste of the food really was. I'm devastated.
I enjoy foodstagrammer's videos, but we as the people in the culinary field need to learn the correct way of describing the flavours thru our senses. We need to learn how to cook. We should...unquestionably do some research, starting with all of the ingredients that later we'll put in our mouth.
But...another sad facts...to learn about it we need to get into the exclusive circles. I don't know why learning about food isn't really a thing in my country. People would just eat stuff and never bother to know where it comes from. There are only a few little peer groups and Idk...I see it as those people in fashion, exclusive people only.
Just like that interviewer asked me case. She understood well that a large group of people know PASTA as the only ITALIAN FOOD. She might be surprise if she finds out that some of us know le mozzarella fritte e le polpettine.
Maybe that's the reason why culinary school is expensive. Like really expensive, even for a short course. If you want to learn a bit deeper about culinary, then you can choose the hospitality school. But again, no spesific majors like Culinary arts or Pastry arts or Bread baking. All of them are available in the form of short courses which is...again...massively expensive.
I'm really sad about this industry in my country. If those who have the privileges would like to give it back to the community, it would be great. Maybe this is also the reason why the Chefs are usually men rather than women. Women usually learn how to cook for the sake of their husbands or to create a catering, it's good but I want them to understand about food a bit deeper than they have.
My lovely moment was during UNI I was the leader of my UNI's cooking club and that was the time when I see men and women both had the interests in culinary world. Me and my teams weren't only teach them how to cook, we taught them about the ingredients, about the knives, about all kind of pasta shapes, names and so. It was the best time of my life, because we learned together and cooking isn't only cooking. It's always more than that, it's a revelation in life. Genderless, the poor the rich are the same, they have the same opportunity only the good one will raise.
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| Source : CNN Indonesia |
I adore lots of people in culinary especially in my country. There are some of the food writer, food enthusiast and my favorite is always Bondan Winarno (Rest in Peace). He broke the national TV with his knowledges of traditional food and people were enjoying it. Most of them learned something everytime after the episode of his show. He's like...Anthony Bourdain of Indonesia.
The show was in Bahasa, so of course everyone would understand what he said. He visited the locals, so everyone would not be confused when in the future they come to the city. He told you how to enjoy the plate and the proper way to have it into your belly. It was the most beautiful Indonesian tv show in my opinion. And I miss him so dearly.
In the writing world, I adore Ms. Rima Sjoekri so bad. She wrote a book about knowing the local ingredients (SENI RASA : Teman Resep Masakan Indonesia) and I must say if you want to become a local chef, you need the book as your pocket emergency book. IT'S ONCE AGAIN I SAY IT...A REVELATION.
She didn't only listed the ingredients, she told us what flavor that those ingredients have. Is it sour? Sweet? Bitter? On what kind of dishes that these ingredients are perfect for. I LOVE IT SO MUCH! It's what I mean by giving the knowledges to the community.
Culinary should be for everyone who wants to learn about it. Not only for me who understand a bit in English, but for those who don't speak one. It should be found in every corner, so we finally figure it out what we put in our mouth and how it will affect our body.
I believe, one of the reason why Diabetic, Heart attack, and obesity are common, it's because we fo sho...don't undestand what we eat. Damn....
I hope I can be one of those people who contribute more in the culinary field for the community without the needs to make it exclusive. So later, that instagrammer will learn the proper way to use the word UMAMI to describe her food ;D
Let's change the way we represent this field!
CIAO,
Allysa
