Aceh Culinary Festival Celebrates 10 Years of Food Heritage
- 14 Sep 2026 16:16 WIB
- Voice of Indonesia
Key Points
- The Aceh Culinary Festival marked its 10th anniversary with traditional recipes, local ingredients, and strengthened culinary storytelling rooted in Acehnese culture.
- The three‑day event attracted more than 11,000 visitors while supporting cultural preservation, MSMEs, and local economic growth.
RRI.CO.ID, Banda Aceh - The Aceh Culinary Festival (ACF) marked its tenth anniversary with a three‑day celebration in Banda Aceh, attracting thousands of culinary enthusiasts, cultural practitioners, and tourists.
Held at Taman Sulthanah Safiatuddin, the festival showcased traditional Acehnese recipes, local culinary narratives, and native ingredients, including endemic fish from Aceh Tamiang. Aceh Culture and Tourism Agency Head Dedy Yuswadi reported that cumulative attendance surpassed 11,000 visitors by Saturday.
Now in its tenth year, ACF has secured a place in the Ministry of Tourism’s Top 10 Karisma Event Nusantara (KEN) for four consecutive years, reinforcing its role in preserving Aceh’s culinary heritage while supporting MSME development, job creation, and sustainable local enterprise.
Deputy Tourism Minister Ni Luh Enik Ermawati emphasized the festival’s cultural and economic significance during the closing ceremony on Sunday.
“This event highlights not only flavor, but also culture and tradition. The Aceh Culinary Festival should be part of the Wonderful Indonesia Gastronomy program currently championed by the Minister. I do not see the vendors merely as cooks, but as guardians of Aceh’s gastronomic heritage who can tell the stories behind each culinary creation they serve. A festival must never stop at being just a spectacle. It must act as an economic driver that expands business capability, creates jobs, and delivers real benefits to the public. May this event reinforce the region’s tourism image, increase tourist arrivals, and spark an independent, inclusive, and competitive tourism ecosystem,” she said, as quoted by Antara.
She explained that gastronomy encompasses not only taste, but also culture, tradition, and the stories behind each dish. Strengthening culinary storytelling, she added, is essential so that visitors appreciate Acehnese cuisine beyond flavor alone.
Her observations at several booths revealed diverse dishes made with local ingredients, including endemic fish from Aceh Tamiang. She noted that gastronomic development aligns with the Ministry’s efforts to promote quality tourism alongside marine tourism and wellness tourism.
Beyond cultural preservation, she stressed that tourism festivals must generate direct economic benefits for local communities.
Dedy Yuswadi confirmed that ACF 2026 recorded more than 11,000 visitors by Saturday, underscoring the festival’s continued appeal and its sustained inclusion in the Ministry’s Top 10 KEN events. ***
News Recomendation
Loading latest news.....