Culinary Diaspora: An Anchor for Indonesian Gastrodiplomacy in the Netherlands

What is it about?

The Indonesian government has taken a great leap to strengthen its nation brand abroad through food. Gastrodiplomacy, as part of diplomacy practices utilising food, should now consider the role of non-state actors in the implementation. The culinary diaspora, which plays a pivotal role in introducing food to the host country, is seen as an asset for developing the Indonesian gastrodiplomacy strategy. Recently, Indonesia has launched a national action plan named ‘Indonesia Spice Up the World’ (ISUTW) as its first-ever well-structured Indonesian gastrodiplomacy strategy. Europe is a vital continent consisting of many Indonesian diasporas and restaurants. Especially in The Netherlands, the Indonesian government should not overlook this country for piloting the implementation of ISUTW. The Indonesian diasporas in The Netherlands are pretty many (up to 118,098 persons), and the number of Indonesian restaurants in The Netherlands is currently the largest compared to other countries. Indonesian restaurants run by the diaspora could be harnessed for culinary promotion, as ISUTW has also targeted establishing Indonesian restaurants up to 4,000 in 2024. Indonesian restaurants could be a strategic display for Indonesian foods, and Indonesian diasporas could be an anchor for Indonesian gastrodiplomacy.

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