Kuliner sebagai Identitas Keindonesiaan

Abstract

Every nation has the symbols to imaging the spirit of nationalism. National cuisine is
one of the symbol that show how the nations positioning food as a part of the national
identity. The formation of national cuisine itself is a kind of national spirit reflection to
deconstruct the former cuisine culture that existed in colonial era. In order to build
connection between food and national identity in postcolonial era, the gastronome and
also government were making nationalization of colonial cuisine legacies through
national cookbook. It’s also happened in the formation of national cuisine in Indonesia.
After Independence, many of the Dutch colonial culture including Indische keuken
(Dutch East Indie cuisine) had decolonized. The term of Indische keuken then replaced
became “masakan Indonesia” (Indonesian food). This article discusses about the
formation of Indonesian national cuisine since the early of Independence until the
publication of first Indonesia national cookbook Mustika Rasa in 1967.