Qatari, Indonesian master chefs explore culinary traditions

As Qatar and Indonesia celebrate each other’s cultures and traditions during the Qatar – Indonesia 2023 Year of Culture, an annual international exchange designed to deepen understanding between nations and their people, shared food culture and culinary experiences is taking centre stage.The Years of Culture initiative, a bilateral cultural exchange programme launched by Qatar Museums (QM) over a decade ago, is organising a culinary journey for two Qatari chefs through Indonesia from Jayapura to Medan and Bali, culminating at the Ubud Food Festival taking place at Taman Kuliner from June 30 to July 2.Chef Noof al-Marri, owner of the Desert Rose Cafe at the National Museum of Qatar, and chef Hassan al-Ibrahim, known as Captain Chef due to his pilot training, will explore the length of Indonesia through unique gastronomic experiences – enjoying street food and ethnic cuisine, learning traditional cooking techniques by preparing home-cooked meals at residents’ homes and learning about sustainable foods.Coming together at the Ubud Food Festival, the chefs will surprise attendees with unique recipe ideas from both ends of an ancient spice trade route from the Arabian Peninsula to Indonesia.Medan is a melting pot of the many cultures in Indonesia: dishes here are made with Acehnese, Malay, Chinese, and Indian influences.Al-Marri and al-Ibrahim will visit an array of restaurants and food stalls.First up is the peranakan beef and chicken curry restaurant Rumah Makan Tabona. Peranakan refers to the combination of Chinese and Malay cultures with Islamic influences.The chefs will also sample sweet confections at the oldest traditional dessert spot in the city called Putu Bambu Sudi Mampir and try dinner dishes at a famous local street food spot Kwetiau Medan.A highlight of the trip will be the search for authentic Bataknese dishes made by the indigenous people of Medan at Ruma Makan Marikena.Al-Marri and al-Ibrahim will be accompanied in Medan by chef Arsyan Dwianto, known for his third-place win on Season 9 of 'Masterchef Indonesia'.Jayapura, the easternmost capital city in Indonesia, is known for its sago staple food used in similar manner to rice.Cuisine in this region is traditionally made of ingredients that can be foraged from the forests.Al-Marri and al-Ibrahim will visit the Skouw Sae village in time for the famous Hari Sagu Papua festival celebrating the sago harvest.Jungle chef Charles Toto will guide al-Marri and al-Ibrahim on their journey through Jayapura. Toto’s focus is on actively preserving the culinary culture native to Papua, using various natural ingredients from his native land.No culinary journey of Indonesia will be complete without Balinese cuisine.Chef Wayan Kresna Yasa, a passionate ambassador of Balinese food and cooking, will guide al-Marri and al-Ibrahim on a tour of traditional Balinese cooking demonstrations, cocoa plantation, and markets.The journey concludes at the Ubud Food Festival (June 30-July 2) where al-Marri and al-Ibrahim will pay homage to the soil, 'tanah, as this year’s theme.Together, al-Marri and al-Ibrahim will partner with Toto and Chef Devina Hermawan, known for her role on 'Master Chef Indonesia', for a series of culinary demonstrations and panel discussions about the impact of land resources on the types of food chefs in Qatar and Indonesia specialise in.