Indonesia has been known as a producer of spices, even its spice route is a trace of world civilization. So famous, European nations went far to the archipelago specifically to look for spices which at that time were expensive commodities.
For Indonesia, spices should be an economic potential that can be easily exposed. Because many Indonesian immigrants accommodate the need for spices in other continents through restaurants and convenience stores that are their businesses in other countries.
Like Yulia Marlina and her husband, Iwan who opened Cafe Pendawa in 2004 in the Morris Street area, Philadelphia, United States (US). The shop started as an internet shop, then developed into a grocery store that also sells food, cakes and snacks.
To fill her shop, the owner of Cafe Pendawa relies on large distributors to supply shipments of goods from Indonesia. “Yes (the difficulty) is that sometimes spices don’t last long on the road,” said Yulia when asked about the difficulty of obtaining Indonesian spices, in a written interview with Liputan6.com, Friday (8/17/2024).
Philadelphia, one corner of the city is often called the Indonesian village because of the many settlers from Indonesia. This area is often visited by immigrants from other cities specifically to look for spices or kitchen needs.
“Yes, on Saturdays and Sundays, people from out of town like to shop at stores looking for food and groceries,” continued Yulia.
Not only spices or kitchen herbs such as fresh kencur and turmeric, Cafe Pendawa also sells Indonesian food in the form of market snacks. Previously, according to Yulia, Cafe Pendawa also sold ready-made food such as Pempek. But because the store is increasingly full of food ingredients, most buyers wrap it up to take home.
Yulia hopes that the Indonesian government can help with the delivery of fresh spices to be sold in the US. “Of course this is very helpful because Indonesian people here also still like to look for fresh Indonesian spices,” Yulia concluded.
source: https://www.liputan6.com/lifestyle/read/5675886/lika-liku-perjalanan-ekspor-rempah-dan-bumbu-indonesia-ke-luar-negeri?page=2