From Lombok to the World: Rice and Culture as Soft Diplomacy Tools

Mataram, Indonesianpost.com – Rice, a staple in Sasak cuisine, is at the heart of West Nusa Tenggara’s agricultural and cultural identity. In 2024, Lombok produced over 785,000 tons of unhusked rice, accounting for more than half of the province’s total production.

From May 8–11, 2025, Lombok hosted the Indonesia Gastrodiplomacy Series, welcoming 38 delegates from 27 countries. The initiative aimed to use food as a bridge for diplomacy, offering foreign representatives a firsthand look at local culture and traditions.

“Food is a universal language,” said Heru Hartanto Subolo from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “Through cuisine, we introduce Indonesia’s warmth and cultural richness to the world.”

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Delegates visited Mataram, West Lombok, and Central Lombok, sampling traditional dishes and observing food preparation such as serabi, a rice-flour pancake made with coconut and palm sugar—ingredients sourced locally and deeply tied to the region’s farming traditions.

NTB has been rice self-sufficient since 1984, and coconut remains the province’s second-largest plantation commodity after tobacco. Palm sugar is also a key ingredient in many local delicacies.

Austrian Ambassador Thomas Loidl praised the hospitality of Lombok’s people, noting how culture and cuisine can strengthen international ties.

Local specialties like ayam taliwang (grilled chicken) and sate bulayak (beef satay) also hold potential as instruments of culinary diplomacy, promoting regional identity while opening new doors for tourism, trade, and cultural exchange. (BL/Antara)