Doha: With the Qatar International Food Festival (QIFF) coinciding with the Qatar-Indonesia Year of Culture, Indonesian Chef and community influencer Nony Aska Daulika has said the QIFF platform is a catalyst for cultural awareness for both Qatar and Indonesia.
Daulika, who started cooking in her home and is co-founder of Kitchen Addict, partnered with Qatari Chef Aisha Al Tamimi to make a dish that combines Indonesian and Qatari flavours. She said the venue for this year’s QIFF (Al Sa’ad Plaza at Lusail Boulevard) provides a beautiful location for food lovers to “explore the food of the world.”
“I want people to know more about Indonesian dishes and culture,” Daulika told The Peninsula. “Also, from their experience here, we like to invite more people to come to Indonesia and see our beautiful country,” she said, urging food lovers, tourists and the general public to patronise the vendors at QIFF.
Speaking about the cooking collaboration with Al Tamimi, Daulika said the partnership was inspired by the Year of Culture initiative but made for a rich blend of cultures.
“Chef Aisha and I discussed what we should make that’d be easy and quick. We decided to make the fish cake, and she advised me to use some Qatari spices. Surprisingly, it turned out very well. The outcome makes the cultures richer and wider for the people to explore,” she said.
QIFF, which will conclude tomorrow, has an entire section exclusively for Indonesian cuisine, and Chef Daulika recommends the famous Rendang. The dish has been named the most delicious food in the world multiple times. The cooking process takes a long time and is more of an identity as a food of honour in traditional events such as weddings, traditional celebrations, and other important events.
“The food I want people to try is Rendang. If you search online, it’s the most delicious food in the world; even chef Gordon Ramsay is coming to Indonesia to learn how to make it. It’s delicious and rich in spices, and it takes 5 to 8 hours to cook it — but it’s worth it.”
More than 80 exciting and popular culinary vendors are participating in the eleven-day festival, which is expected to attract more than 7,000 visitors daily.
