Indonesia, Spain To Cooperate in Promoting Traditional Cuisine

London, Dec 17 (ANTARA) - Spain and Indonesia have agreed to promote each other`s traditional cuisine, after the Chief of Real Academia Gastronomia de Espana Rafael Anson signed a bilateral agreement with his Indonesian counterpart, William Wongso, last weekend in Madrid, Spain. "The agreement was signed in the presence of Indonesian ambassador to Spain Adiyatwidi Adiwoso Asmady. The event was also attended by several high-ranking Spanish officials," Indonesian Embassy Counselor Theodorus Satrio Nugroho told ANTARA during an interview in London on Monday. The agreement was signed alongside the inauguration of "Menu of 30 Iconic Dishes from Indonesia", by the Tourism and Creative Economic Minister Mari Elka Pangestu, in an effort to promote Indonesian cuisine across the world. William Wongso is the chairman of the culinary promotion team. According to Theodorus, the agreement �primarily involves promoting Indonesian gastronomy across the world�. "It also aims to support the establishment of Indonesian Gastronomic Association and its integration with the International Gastronomy Association," he said. "The Spanish party has agreed to share its experience with the Indonesian association in order to help us promote our cuisine across the world," Theodorus added. Meanwhile, William stated that the global community was not familiar enough with Indonesian cuisine. "By gaining access to the international market, Indonesian cuisine will become more popular worldwide," he explained. "We have a long way to go, but the promotion should begin as early as possible," William said. "Even many Indonesian people do not know enough about Indonesian gastronomy which is rich in taste, appearance, and nutrients," he pointed out. "Indonesian gastronomy is not just food; it is part of our cultural heritage and national identity," William added. Asmady said the signing of the agreement was a �groundbreaking effort� that would help make Indonesian cuisine popular across the globe. "The promotion of Indonesia gastronomy would also help promote Indonesian products in the global market, especially from the food and agricultural sector," he noted. "This will also improve Indonesia�s image in front of the international community," Asmady added. He expressed hope that Spain would help Indonesia �take the first step towards achieving its goal of being a part of international gastronomic community�. Anson, the chairman of the Spanish Gastronomic Association is scheduled to visit Indonesia in April 2013 to reaffirm Real Academia Gastronomia de Espana`s commitment to assisting Indonesia in promoting Indonesian gastronomy at the global level. "The agreement has been signed at the right time, just when the Indonesian iconic menu has been set," he noted. After the signing ceremony, the participants were treated to traditional Indonesian cuisine, such as Salada Bangka Udang, Lumpia Jakarta, East Java Rawon Soup, Tumpeng Kuning Rice, Black Squid of Pekalongan, Fish Gulai of West Sumatera, Woku Chicken of Manado, Rendang of Padang, and dried tempe and a Lumpur cake. The theme of the post-signing event was "Culinary Hopping Through Indonesia". Later, the embassy promoted Indonesian cuisine through a workshop that was attended by representatives from hotel and tourism school CETT and Alambique Cooking School.