MINANG HERITAGE
Atet Dwi Pramadia, Media Indonesia

A friend living far away from home said:”When you are hungry, far away from home and in confusion over what to eat, the best thing you can do is to find any Padang restaurant as its taste is of Nusantara (Indonesian archipelago) standard.”

Nasi Padang is the popular name of culinary products of ethnic Minangkabau or Minang, as the name refers to the ethnic’s place of origin, the West Sumatra Province with Padang as its capital city. The cuisine, whose flavor enriched by traditional condiment, is no stranger to almost every Indonesian tongue. Coconut milk is an essential ingredient in most of its menu. When combined with spices of sub-tropical areas, the food tastes savory and yummy.

A Minangkabau tradition of migration makes Padang food play a role in propagating the noble values inherited from generation to generation. Through the chef who also plays a role as a messenger, Padang food blends into and adjusts itself to every layer of any society. It was also equally done by Tan Malaka, who brought a fresh air with his theory of freedom to people residing in the Island of Java during feudal time without losing his own identity.