Writing a Booklet on the History of Indonesian Food

My learning goal is to develop my understanding of the histories behind Indonesian cuisine and explore its intricacies. Having a mother who has been in the food industry (as a food blogger), I was introduced to a plethora of different foods. Despite that, I was quite the picky eater as a child. My preference for food was narrow, as I was always opting for KFC fried chicken over any other food served on the dinner table. I was also adamant about my choice, despite my parents’ efforts to get me to try something new. As I grew older and was even more exposed to a wide array of food though, my palate acclimated to new flavors. It was a delight to have my mother bring home food for us to review, among those foods being Indonesian cuisine. At first, I may have been hesitant on trying out bold tastes and sensations like spiciness. In my book, spiciness would be placed at the bottom of the totem pole for flavors. I couldn’t grasp the fact that some people would actually devour spicy food with great relish. But, my mom constantly served it on the dinner table in order to familiarize myself with it. Next thing you know, I enjoyed the very thing I used to avoid myself from. As such, my mom acted as a catalyst that sparked my interest in Indonesian cuisine and changed the way I perceived it. In the same way, Indonesians of the past also did the same with accepting foreign influences. This manifested into the diverse array of culture Indonesia became home to. Therefore, in this personal project, I wanted to focus on how that came to be. I wanted to trace the histories behind Indonesian food and uncover the stories behind it. I then will compile my findings and communicate that through writing. With that in mind, this personal project will not only open windows of opportunity for me to better understand Indonesian food history, but also help to sharpen my researching and writing skills.

Product Goal

The product/outcome that I will create in response to my learning goal is a booklet about probing the interconnectedness within the spice route and tracing its roots to Indonesian cuisine. The booklet branches off into categories which are; Spanish and Portuguese influences, Dutch influences, Indian influences, Arab influences, Chinese influences, as well as its connections with prestigious kingdoms in Indonesia, namely the Majapahit and Sriwijaya Empire. The most vital element of all are the Spice Islands of Maluku, consisting of the Banda Islands, and Ternate. I will take the readers through a journey across timelines, moving beyond the reductive lens of cuisine as only its taste/nutrients, but to also encompass the history behind it. In short, the booklet will be a gastro biography of Indonesia. It will highlight the power of highly-prized, lucrative spices (cloves, nutmeg, and mace) and the foreigners in search of it. The hallmark of each of these influences will then be presented as dishes.

Reflection

To me, this was one whirlwind of a project. I had run into some stifling personal issues that I had to uproot in order to make progress on the personal project. Due to my poor time management, my progress was delayed and I had to juggle so many things at the last minute. Therefore, this experience taught me the importance of exercising my willpower in fully committing to this personal project. Though getting on top of my responsibilities feels insurmountable, I pushed through. I tried to combat the things that swayed me from my path head-on. It felt like a steep mountain, but with every step I took I inched closer towards the summit. My booklet might not be complete just yet, but the process of working on it taught me many things nonetheless. I gained knowledge, received insight, applied researching skills, and honed my writing skills, to name a few. This project also taught me problem-solving skills and pushed me to whip up whatever best thing I could do when the odds were against me. Not only did I learn to tackle challenges, but it also grew my love for Indonesian food. Throughout the making of the product, I marveled at the diversity of Indonesian food and its dramatic contribution to global cuisine at a large scale. I was astonished by how adaptable and accepting Indonesians are of foreign cultures.

Product Evaluation

My final product was a booklet on the history of Indonesian food, specifically on probing the interconnectedness within the spice route. The contents of my booklet include: a preface, overview of current Indonesian food, indigenous Indonesian food, influences from India, influences from China, influences from the Middle East, influences from Europe (the Dutch and Portuguese), conclusion, a transcript of my interview with Kevindra Soemantri, and a bibliography. I first compiled all my findings in a Google document, and then started writing based off of that. After rounds of editing and revision, I moved the finished writing to Canva. I used Canva as a platform to design the entirety of my booklet.

Areas of Strength

Product Success Criteria

Areas of Development

I utilized elements and principles of design that were relevant to the information being displayed. I kept the color and font palette consistent throughout the whole booklet, and maintained uniform spacing. It wasn’t too heavy on the visuals either and was balanced with the verbal descriptions.

Aesthetics

The design might be aesthetically pleasing, but it wasn’t anything too out of the box. Only utilizes some pictures of food and minor decorations here and there. Some might grow bored of the details as nothing really popped out.

The booklet is laid out quite well as it is organized nicely into different sections (written in accordance with the table of contents). Some opinions and ideas are built on each other logically and coherently. Transitional devices are used to create flow in the writing.

Organization

The flow of some paragraphs might not be as sophisticated, as there was difficulty in connecting one paragraph/sentence to the next. Bibliography is incomplete at the moment and not all that have been quoted are cited correctly (based on the MLA format).

Uses a sophisticated range of vocabulary, especially in the first few pages of the booklet. Errors in terms of grammar, spelling, and punctuation are minor in the first few pages of the booklet.

Using Language

The rest of the pages I had to go through relatively quickly. Therefore, it did not possess as much range in vocabulary as compared to the first few pages of the booklet. Use of expressions could be enhanced and vocabulary could be expanded.

First few pages of the booklet efficiently demonstrate strong insights. Concepts are perceptively analyzed in order to form strong insights according to the context.

Analyzing

Terminology/phrases used might not be correct or applicable to the context. Some paragraphs lack support from examples and thorough explanations.

Overall Evaluation

Based on the product success criteria, my booklet has not fully fulfilled the standards of a highly proficient product. My product does have a strong suit. But with every strength, it is sure to have its drawbacks. First off, the booklet is aesthetically pleasing and nicely laid out, but doesn’t stand out from the crowd. When it comes to the organization, it might be appropriately organized into different sections, but the points don’t always flow effortlessly between paragraphs/sentences. Some ideas might be abrupt as it isn’t transitioned well enough. In terms of using language, I wasn’t able to go through and proofread everything. So, the writing could be prone to errors in grammar, spelling, or punctuation as I was dependent on autocorrection. Other than that, the sophisticated use of vocabulary is only prominent in the first few pages of the booklet. Lastly, concepts are perceptively analyzed in order to form strong insights according to the context of a particular section in the booklet. But, some paragraphs do lack elaboration and support. Overall, some areas have achieved the standards that have been set up, but it unfortunately wasn’t apparent throughout the entirety of the booklet. This was due to poor time management, as I had to gallop through the rest of the booklet quickly.