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| Foto : Cantika |
DailyTria, The public may only know BJ Habibie, the Third President of the Republic of Indonesia, as a powerful technocrat in the aircraft sector. Perhaps they know Habibie from his long-lasting love story with his wife, Hasri Ainun Besari.
However, few people realize that Grandpa Habibie, as he was lovingly called, was an avid fan of Indonesian food. Habibie personal chef, Satiyah, reported that the Parepare, South Sulawesi native virtually always preferred Indonesian cuisine.
"Father (Habibie) likes Indonesian cuisine, and when it comes to vegetables, he prefers sour vegetables or lodeh vegetables," Satiyah explained when we met at the Habibie & Ainun Guesthouse.
BJ Habibie culinary heritage is being revived through a cooperation between Wisma Habibie Ainun and Plataran Catering Services called the "Habibie Legacy Experience," which invites the public to taste the tastes of BJ Habibie favorite meals.
6 of BJ Habibie Favorite Foods
1. Sayur Lodeh.
Sayur Lodeh, made with Ainun recipe, is one of Habibie favorite foods. The contents are comparable to traditional sayur lodeh, including vegetables such as long beans, melinjo, chopped maize, and eggplant.
What distinguishes it is its delicate, mildly salty, and creamy flavor. Although Ainun has died away, Satiyah has kept the recipe, having learnt to prepare sayur lodeh from him for years.
2. Lamb Satay Gulai.
Who would have believed Habibie like lamb satay gulai? Habibie fell in love with Lamb Satay Guai while studying at the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) in Bandung, West Java.
According to Satiyah recipe, Habibie grandpa loved lamb satay with a delicate texture and a non-gamey scent. Lamb satay is often served with soy sauce, however Habibie Lamb Satay Gulai is served with peanut sauce. The sauce has a smooth and thick texture, a little sweet flavor, a faint creamy texture, and a spicy scent.
3. Chicken Semur.
Grandfather Habibie also like Chicken Semur. It was Ainun favorite meal, although Habibie frequently requested it. Habibie Chicken Semur calls for Javanese sugar sauce rather as soy sauce, and it provides a nice blend of sweet and salty flavors.
4. Nasi Liwet Manunggal
Trying all of these meals would be incomplete without rice. Habibie was known to like Nasi Liwet Manunggal, a dish made with coconut milk, lemongrass, shallots, bay leaves, and chiles. The rice has the perfect texture, neither too firm or too soft, and the flavor is mildly savory.
5. Apple Strudel.
Moving on to dessert, Habibie granddad was known to like apple strudel. It is a classic European pastry dish made out of a thin, crunchy crust with a sweet, cinnamon-infused apple filling. Habibie grew to enjoy this meal after living in Germany.
6. The dishes are available to the public.
All of these popular foods are now available to the general public through the Habibie Legacy Experience program, which is presented at Wisma Habibie & Ainun. Visitors will be able to not only savor Grandfather Habibie favorite meals, but also take a tour of Wisma Habibie-Ainun and learn about Habibie legacy. Those interested in enrolling in this program can make a reservation directly with Wisma Habibie & Ainun. (H-3)
