Government Supports Gastronomic, Boosting Through Local Fermented Coffee

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Indonesia's Ministry of Creative Economy continues to strengthen the culinary subsector, particularly gastronomy. This was demonstrated through an audience between Vice Minister of Creative Economy, Irene Umar, and Kedai Kopi Jo, which presents innovative Indonesian fermented coffee.

During the meeting, Irene Umar highlighted the uniqueness of Kopi Jo, which elevates the flavors of Indonesian coffee through its distinctive aging technique. She also introduced this product to delegates from friendly countries as part of efforts to promote Indonesia's culinary riches globally.

Starting from various local activities, Kopi Jo is a Yogyakarta-based coffee shop that has flourished since 2009. Its flagship product combines coffee with spices through a special fermentation process that produces distinctive flavors.

The Ministry of Creative Economy views the potential of Indonesian coffee not only as a commodity, but also in the diversity of traditional recipes with high economic value. Various beverages, such as kopi takar (takar coffee), kopi rarobang (rarobang coffee), and innovations like Kopi Jo, are considered part of the culinary intellectual wealth that needs to be developed.

Kopi Jo owner, Johanes Tan Joana Jaja, explained that the process has unique stages that characterize his product. "The acidity will increase. That's what we then ferment, then age it again with added sugar, and then put it in jars for 6-7 months. That's what we'll harvest," he explained.

Gastronusa founder, Edwin Pangestu, emphasized the importance of introducing a variety of coffee preparations as part of the nation's creative identity. "So, if we want to talk about coffee, it's not just about selling coffee beans; we have to promote dishes like this, because it's also a form of intellectual property (IP)," Edwin said.