Fadli Zon calls a cultural identity symbol and culinary diplomacy

Jakarta – Indonesian Culture Minister Fadli Zon emphasized that cone was not just a dish, but a symbol of the country’s cultural identity as well as an instrument of Indonesian culinary diplomacy in the international world. “Tumpeng reflects human relations with the Creator as well as mutual cooperation and togetherness. This philosophy is very universal and relevant in the midst of an increasingly individualistic world. Therefore, we can be culinary, including cone, a global tradition,” Fadli said in a written statement, Sunday (8/24/2025). He said this while attending the Indonesian Tumpeng 2025 festival held in the Borobudur hotel, Jakarta. This event was held in collaboration with the Association of Indonesian Catering Services Entrepreneurs (APJI), Indonesian Gastronomy Community (IGC) and Borobudur Hotel. Browse to continue with the content Fadli emphasizes Indonesian culinary is a product of cultural and heritage that should not be considered consumption, but also the intercultural bridge and the strength of the creative economy. Until 2024, there were 2,213 Indonesian Takbenda cultural heritage (WBTBI), including 231 types of traditional culinary. However, this number is still far from enough to represent the culinary diversity of the archipelago. Some were even threatened with extinction, such as Itak Poul-Poul of North Sumatra and Surgery of Bangka Belitung. “Culinary is a very effective cultural diplomacy. Many international communities know Indonesia of their food. For example, namely Rendang, which is named the most delicious food in the world of the CNN travel version,” said Uja Fadli. “There is more satay, fried rice until Soto is our culinary wealth. But unfortunately, Indonesian culinary culinary is not promoted proportionally,” he continued. Therefore, Fadli said the Ministry of Education and Culture always strives to support the preservation and development of the archipelary, both by education, promotion, to legal recognition such as the determination of WBTB. Fadli also reminded its importance of accelerating Indonesian culinary promotion abroad. Fadli gave an example of neighboring countries such as Thailand and Vietnam whose restaurants were almost present around the world. Meanwhile, Indonesian restaurants are still limited, although they are now beginning to develop in different countries, one of which is in Türkiye, which has increased from five to about thirty restaurants in Istanbul over five years. “We should not be inferior to neighboring countries. Indonesian culinary is one of our products and cultural expressions,” Fadli said. “We need to introduce it to the world. Maybe we can work together in the future between the Ministry of Culture and IGC, APJI and the Indonesian Embassy to register the number of Indonesian restaurants in different countries, because it can be our pivot,” he continued. Tumpeng Indonesia Festival is a culinary -based festival organized by IGC in collaboration with APJI and Borobudur Indonesia Hotel with a focus on cone dishes. This festival is part of a series of activities organized by the Borobudur Hotel to commemorate the 80th Indonesian Independence Day with the head ‘Discovery Nusantara’. The Indonesian Tumpeng Festival 2025 itself takes the theme ‘Reviving Tradition, which unites generations’, which is expected to be a forum to make cone as a culinary heritage on generations and symbols of the country’s identity. More than that, cone is expected to be a culinary that provides economic added value to the country’s food care industry and is no less important, it can be a way for the cultural diplomacy of the nation abroad. Fadli hopes that through this festival it can be one of the efforts in promoting culture and carrying cones will be increasingly known by the world. “We hope this cone can be a representation of the culinary archipelago in the international arena. It could even be a world tradition. Hopefully more and more young people will like the culture and culinary, especially Cone,” Fadli said. By the Indonesian Tumpeng Festival 2025, it is hoped that it will not only be a forum to reinstate traditional culinary wealth, but also strengthen the cultural identity of the country, promote the pride of the younger generation of ancestral heritage and strengthen the synergy of Indonesian culinary promotion in the world arena. For information, the festival was also chaired by the DPP APJI Tashya Mechananda Yukki, chairman of IGC Ria Musiawan, Deputy Secretary of General of IGC Dewi Susan, general manager of Borobudur Hotel Anggie Auningtyas, the chairman of the Silitonga teachers and cultural institutions, the Indonesian Gastronomy – Tourism education institute, attended. (Akn/Ega)