The French Embassy in Indonesia, the French Institute in Indonesia (IFI), and Business France Indonesia, supported by the students of Auguste Escoffier (Disciples d'Escoffier), for the first time held the French Gastronomy Week in Indonesia, entitled “Le Goût de France - A taste of France, j'adore !”
As stated by Mr. Fabien Penone, French Ambassador to Indonesia, Timor Leste and ASEAN, Gastronomy Week is an opportunity for the Indonesian people to get to know the diversity of French gastronomy better and promote culinary and cultural exchange between France and Indonesia.
French culinary art is often known through its famous and exclusive restaurants. In fact, restaurants such as bistros and brasseries, bakeries and cake shops, and cafes offer products at affordable prices. French gastronomy is also family cuisine, where recipes are passed down from generation to generation. As in Indonesia, hospitality and the joy of sharing, exchange and curiosity are at the heart of French cuisine. French culinary arts were included by UNESCO in the intangible cultural heritage of mankind in 2010.
French Gastronomy Week in Indonesia involves more than 150 restaurants and partner institutions throughout the archipelago, especially in the following areas : Jakarta, Bandung, Bogor, Jambi, Seminyak, Denpasar, Sanur, Ubud, Makassar, Medan, Pasuruan, Surabaya , Tangerang and Yogyakarta.
Various events will be held, such as a “French menu” served at partner restaurants, competitions, film screenings, meetings and discussions, and cooking classes.
A total of fifteen cooking demonstrations have been scheduled and will be held at a number of vocational high schools and colleges.
Finally, a national competition for the best French recipe has been launched on Instagram. This competition is open to anyone. The ten best video makers will be invited to the grand final which will be held in Jakarta on October 19 2023. On this occasion, a jury consisting of chefs from France and Indonesia, including Gilles Marx as Chair of the Indonesian Escoffier Student Association, will determine the winner. The main prize is a trip to France, to experience typical French cuisine (includes round-trip plane tickets, pocket money, accommodation for one week, and visa).
Apart from that, a number of other accompanying programs will also enliven this Gastronomy Week such as film screenings & discussions, exhibitions and case studies.
At the Opening Ceremony and Press Conference which was held on October 12 2023, Y.M. Mr. Fabien Penone as the French Ambassador to Indonesia, Timor Leste and ASEAN gave a speech and officially opened this Gastronomy Week. Mr. Sylvain Biard as Trade Counselor of the French Embassy gave an explanation about economic aspects and export-import cooperation in the culinary sector between France and Indonesia. Chef Gilles Marx as President of Disciples Escoffier Indonesia also underlined the importance of the participation of French restaurants and French chefs in this Gastronomy Week. Mrs. Charlotte Esnou as Attaché for Cultural Cooperation at IFI/French Embassy in Indonesia explained the details of the Gastronomy Week programs. The 5 finalists from Masterchef Indonesia, namely Mario (season 10), Lord Adi (season 8), Gio (season 10), Fanny (season 5), and Jerry (season 7) also enlivened this event by sharing their experiences when competing in Masterchef Indonesia event.
Get complete information and details of the program “Le Goût de France - A taste of France, j'adore !” on the page www.citarasaprancis.com.