Balinese Food



    While in Amsterdam I had the privilege of eating Indonesian food for the first time. I was expecting it to be a bit like Indian food, which I am not the biggest fan of. I am pleasantly surprised to say that It surpassed my expectations! The meal was served family style! There were lots of different dishes placed in front of a group of four of us. We were able to try a bunch of dishes and then get more of the ones we liked! One of my favorites was the peanut chicken on the stick! It didn’t look very appetizing but it was very good. Another dish I liked was the curry vegetables. They were very colorful and warm! All of the dishes had different flavors but complemented each other very well. 

    This food is historically important to Amsterdam because the Dutch East India trading company was responsible for lots of importing and exporting. Some of these imports were spices from Indonesia! These spices introduce new flavors to the Dutch! While colonization isn't a good thing, it helps bring other cultures into a certain place which I think is a good thing. It is sad that for something good to come about something bad had to happen. I wish that this cultural integration could have happened without causing harm to others. Something interesting we learned was that this is one of the only places that still serves Indonesian food like this. 

    I think this food contributes to Amsterdam's status as a cultural capital because it shows that lots of cultures are present in this city. I think when a capital has a mix of cultures it makes living there so much more rich. Having lots of cultures helps the people living there have a greater knowledge of the world. Furthermore, having Indonesian food in Amsterdam can get people thinking about why it is there and that can lead to finding out about history. People that know about the history of their city help to make it more of a cultural capital. 

Comments

  1. Hannah BryanMay 18, 2024 at 6:08 PM

    In your blog post you explain how the presence of Indonesian food in Amsterdam can remind residents and tourists of the colonial history of Holland. I certainly agree with your point that living in a place with a diverse cultural history makes living there more rich.

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  2. Audrey FergusonJune 7, 2024 at 10:28 PM

    I really like your blog Molly. I totally agree with that the food shows that Amsterdam has a lot of culture in it. The food shows that they are diverse and accepting of other people. The food also has deep history to it and can bring people to learn about Samaritan history with the Dutch East India trading company.

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