ASEAN Showcases the Richness of Its Street Food

12 Jun 2015

Source:  ASEAN Secretariat News

ASEAN Showcases the Richness of Its Street Food

JAKARTA, 12 June 2015 – It is undisputable that the Southeast Asian kitchens produce endless galore of sumptuous dishes. From therein, come signature street foods like satay, pad thai, nasi uduk, or gỏi cuốn (Vietnamese spring roll), to name a few. Ubiquity and affordability, and most importantly the delicate blend of unique spices used, has elevated these dishes to world-wide fame.

The ASEAN Women's Circle (AWC) held ASEAN Street Food Festival today at the ASEAN Secretariat to showcase the richness of Southeast Asia's street food. The colorful spread of ASEAN cookery was prepared by spouses of the ASEAN Permanent Missions to ASEAN as members of the AWC. Fund raised by the Festival will be donated for the betterment of Jakarta's street children

"The sumptuous food galore and their tempting fragrances indeed capture the true picture of ASEAN: We are diverse, yet complementing and enriching each other. Most importantly, street food is people's food. This Festival therefore truly brings into live ASEAN's aspiration as a people-oriented, people-centred Community," said H.E. Dr. AKP Mochtan, Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for Community & Corporate Affairs in his remarks.

True to the ASEAN's spirit of cooperation, the AWC embraced spouses of ASEAN Dialogue Partners and other Embassies in Jakarta to add flavor and color to the Festival with samples of traditional dishes from their respective countries. There was also a mini bazaar where clothes, fashion accessories and pre-packed food from ASEAN countries were sold.

Aside from promoting appreciation of the region's richness in traditions and culture, the Festival serves as an important platform for the AWC's outreach activity. The ASEAN Food Festival is one of the AWC's flagship programmes. Last year, a similar event was held under the theme of "Traditional Culinary."

This event received sponsors and supports from many parties, such as Singapore Airlines, Cebu Pacific Air, Oishi, Indofood, and Stretchline.

The AWC was founded in 1975 with the purpose of promoting friendship and understanding among the members and with spouses of diplomatic corps based in Jakarta. It also strives to further achieve the ASEAN objectives to the public through its various activities. Mdm. Yasmin Fachir, wife of H.E. Abdurrahman Mohammad Fachir, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, serves as Chief Patron of the AWC, and Mdm. Ugi Pramono, spouse of the Indonesian Permanent Representative to ASEAN, holds the AWC's Presidency for 2015-2016.

Please click here to see remarks by DSG Mochtan.

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