Bakudapan Food Study Group

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First Meeting (28/4/2015)

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  • Bakudapan
Image illustration: pinterest.com

With the help of KUNCI Cultural Studies Centre, we finally held our first meeting with all participants of Bakudapan. When the time hit 18.30, one by one the participants started to arrive. We greeted the participants by serving  (almost) fast food snacks; fried tofu and soda drink. Perhaps because our study group is about food, our participants kindly contributed to the meeting with snacks of their own.

Short introduction

After forty minutes almost all the participants had arrive and so we decided to start the discussion. At first Bakudapan gave a brief introduction and background of the project and  why we chose this topic. The participants came from different backgrounds and most of them hadn’t met each other yet, so we encouraged a short introduction exchanging names  and also why they wanted to join Bakudapan. What became interesting was the reasons they decided to join Bakudapan, ranging from hobbies such as cooking and eating to the sheer curiosity of what will this project may become. Like the participants, we (the initiators of the project) also feel curious about what this project will become and which direction it may take.

During the introduction,a few questions arose specific to the individual backgrounds of the participants. One of the participants came from the University from the Department of Food and Agricultural Product Technology, everyone was curious about what this department focused on and its relation to food. The diverse backgrounds of the participants made our discussion more rich when we started to discuss food.

Speaking about fast food, it already has wide coverage. Some participants mentioned Padang Rice, warteg or warung burjo (nowadays better known as warmindo) as also being part of the category of fast food. At the beginning of the discussion we decided, by agreement that fast food would be defined as those using a franchise system, be it local fast food or international fast food franchises. The franchises we discussed must also process all food in one location and then distribute to their franchise outlets.

Sharing memories and experiences

Notes when we had the first meeting.
Notes when we had the first meeting.

The discussion began by focusing on the perceived prestige of fast food. One of the participants mentioned his experience hanging out in McDonald’s and that it’s considered as something luxurious, even though the setting of McDonald’s is actually quite uncomfortable. Interestingly, it is their intention to make the people not too comfortable so they don’t  hang out to long, but still there are people who feel fine with this. When discussing the prestige side of fast food and its recent luxury status, we cannot forget the status or associated when holding a birthday party in a famous fast food franchise, such as McDonald’s or KFC.  There are special, and expensive birthday packages for fast food parties. Participants recounted memories of feeling jealous when their friends had birthday parties at McDonald’s or their happiness when they were invited as a guest to a KFC birthday party. One interesting story came from a participant reminiscing of when he was still in elementary school – he sold popsicles at his school and used the profit to buy his entire family fried chicken from KFC. It become a source of pride for him, because at that time fast food was still a new and luxurious product.

These stories continued throughout the discussion, recounting the moment you enter a fast food restaurant, open the door and feel the cool breeze from air-conditioning, then being greeted with a warm welcome and smile from the cashier reading to take to order. You are seated inside a colourful interior and can hear optimistic music playing, while enjoying a piece of fried chicken with its secret ingredients. For our generation (born 1980’s-90’s) these moments are hard to forget. We are not only sharing this experience with our generation in Indoneisa, but we feel  that we are sharing the same experience with other kids outside of Indonesia, like America. Notions of prestige are just one outcome of   the successful promotion of famous fast food franchises, furthermore this also becomes a symbol of modernity and globalisation.

It seems as though the famous fast food franchises having the same menus in every country they occupy, but not all countries have the same taste preferences. One of the strategies used is catering menus according to the cultural background and tastes. One of the one participants who has Minang blood (is from West Sumatera) stated that the taste of fast food is still very bland for him, even though the fast food franchise had already adjusted the menu to cater to local taste, she would still prefer her traditional food, which has a richer taste for her.

Summary from the first meeting.
Summary from the first meeting.

So now the sentiment and experience of the famous (international) food franchise is well known to all, we realise the experience of local fast food in Jogja cannot be separated with the experience of the famous (international) food franchise. Bakudapan will attempt to trace the history of local fast food which has similar menus to the international food franchises suchas; fried chicken, french fries, hamburger, doughnuts, etc. Participants recounted memories of when instant batter to make KFC inspired chicken first appeared (Indonesians call it kentaki) and become very popular. “It is cheap and the taste is great,” said one of the participants’ mother back then, but the son still feels that real KFC tastes better. After the invention of instant batter for homemade fried chicken it actually made mothers less creative in kitchen, because suddenly, it was used in everything. This may have been the beginning of tahu kentaki (tofu fried with fried chicken dough). Interestingly, the discussion continued on mentioning every part from chicken that is uncommon to served in famous fast food franchises, such as its head, feet, and intestine.

When the discussion came back to local fast food, according to some of the participants, things that made local fast worth reckoning were the low price point and the taste which very similar to the famous one. For example, Olive fried chicken have the most similar taste to KFC, and the price is way cheaper than KFC. The discussion about fast food was not only about the taste, but also the effect and visuals of advertising. For example, how up to date local franchises are with health and organic issues, and the fact that the social image of fast food is always changing.

Presently, we are mapping a variety of topics to discuss in the next study session for the Fast and Foodrious project.

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BAKUDAPAN is a study group that discuss ideas about food. The word BAKUDAPAN itself is inspired by “bakudapa”, which comes from Manadonese (North Sulawesi) language meaning to “meet”, and also “kudapan” which is a kind of snack that is usually served when there are activities such as a meeting, visiting, and even when hanging out. Therefore, “bakudapan” can be translated as eating snacks while meeting. Through this name, we would like to meet with people who have an interest in food.

BAKUDAPAN adalah sebuah kelompok studi yang mengkaji topik-topik mengenai makan dan makanan. BAKUDAPAN sendiri terinspirasi dari kata “bakudapa” yang berasal dari bahasa Manado (Sulawesi Utara), yang berarti “bertemu”, dan “kudapan” adalah makanan ringan yang biasa disajikan saat adanya aktivitas bertemu orang lain, baik bertamu, rapat, ataupun nongkrong. Sehingga “bakudapan” dapat diartikan sebagai kegiatan bertemu sambil memakan kudapan. Melalui nama inilah, kami ingin bertemu dengan orang-orang yang memiliki ketertarikan terhadap makanan.

We believe that food not merely about filling the stomach. Moreover, food are not restricted about cooking, history, conservation and the ambition to introduce it to the world. For us, food can be an instrument to speak about broader issues, such as politics, social, gender, economy, philosophy, art, and culture.

Kami percaya bahwa makanan tidak hanya soal memasak, asal muasalnya, serta ambisi untuk melestarikan dan mengenalkannya kepada dunia. Bagi kami, makanan dapat menjadi alat dan jalan masuk untuk membicarakan isu yang lebih luas, baik itu ekonomi, politik, sosial, gender, seni, maupun budaya yang lebih luas.

As a study group, we were open for those who would like to join with our projects and activities, despite the difference of backgrounds. The main scheme in our projects is to do cross reference and research about food, which have a trajectory between art, ethnography, research and practice. In doing research, we interested to explore and experiment with the methods and forms, from arts (performance, artistic setting, exhibition, etc) to daily life practices (cooking, gardening, reading, etc). As a reflection process and our intention to generate and share the knowledge, we produce a journal in every projects and actively train ourselves to writes in our website.

Sebagai kelompok belajar kajian makanan, kami terbuka untuk rekan-rekan yang ingin bergabung dengan latar belakang yang beragam. Skema kerja dalam kelompok Bakudapan ini adalah melakukan penelitian dan silang referensi tentang makanan, baik dalam ranah etnografi, antropologi dan seni. Dalam prakteknya kami juga tertarik bereksperimen dengan berbagai metode, mulai dari aktivitas pameran seni, performans, hingga kegiatan seperti memasak, berkebun, klub membaca dan lainnya. Sebagai bagian dari proses riset dan reflektif, kami sedang memaksa diri kami untuk aktif menulis melalui website ini.

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Elia Nurvista (b.1983)
Elia Nurvista explores a wide range of art mediums with an interdisciplinary approach and focuses on the discourse on food politics. Through food, she intends to scrutinize power, social, and economic inequality in this world. Using several mediums from workshop, study group, publication, site specific, performance, video and art installations, she explores the social implications of the food system to critically address the wider issues such as ecology, gender, class and geopolitics. In 2015, with Khairunnisa she initiated Bakudapan Food Study Group. She actively works on her individual projects as well as collective work with Bakudapan.

Elia Nurvista (b.1983)
Elia Nurvista merupakan seniman multidisiplin yang karya-karyanya fokus pada politik pangan. Melalui pangan, ia ingin melihat lebih dalam tentang ketimpangan kekuasaan, sosial, dan ekonomi yang beroperasi secara global. Dengan menggunakan berbagai medium seperti lokakarya, kelompok belajar, publikasi, site specific, pertunjukan, video dan instalasi seni, ia mengeksplorasi implikasi sosial dari sistem pangan untuk secara kritis menyikapi isu-isu yang lebih luas seperti ekologi, gender, kelas dan geopolitik. Pada tahun 2015, bersama Khairunnisa, ia memprakarsai Bakudapan Food Study Group. Ia aktif mengerjakan proyek-proyek individualnya dan juga kerja kolektif bersama Bakudapan.

Eliesta Handitya (b. 1998)
Eliesta Handitya is an anthropology learner, graduated from Cultural Anthropology Department, UGM. She worked on a daily basis as an independent researcher, writer, and editor based in Yogyakarta/Bandung. Liesta is interested in delving on how cultural and social movements become ways in weaving mutual collaboration, practicing collective care to sustain equality and justice, and create space for people to learn together—nurtured with the community or in her daily personal life. Her research revolves around the intersectionalities between urban issues, social-technological studies, social-ecological justice, and cultural labor issues. Liesta is also a member of Struggles for Sovereignty, and co-managing independent publication project named Poppakultura.

Eliesta Handitya (b. 1998)
Eliesta Handitya adalah seorang pembelajar antropologi, lulusan Departemen Antropologi Budaya, UGM. Saat ini, ia bekerja sebagai penulis, peneliti, dan editor independen berbasis di Yogyakarta/Bandung. Liesta tertarik mendalami bagaimana gerakan sosial dan kebudayaan bisa menjadi cara untuk merajut kolaborasi yang setara, merawat kesetaraan dan keadilan, dan menciptakan ruang tumbuh bersama—ditumbuhkan melalui kerja komunitas maupun dalam kehidupan personal sehari-hari. Fokus penelitian yang ia dalami, di antaranya persilangan mengenai isu perkotaan, pangan, kajian dengan pendekatan sosial-teknologi, keadilan sosial-ekologi, dan pekerja budaya. Liesta juga merupakan anggota Struggles for Sovereignty, dan sedang mengelola proyek penerbitan independen bernama Poppakultura.

Gatari Surya Kusuma (b.1993)
Gatari is a cultural worker based in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. She has been part of Bakudapan Food Study Group since the start. Besides being part of Bakudapan, she is working as a researcher in KUNCI Study Forum & Collective. Her interest in these collectives is to continue exploring in research methods and understanding of learning. And also about how knowledge is re-produce and re-question in these topics. Lately it is working on topics such as collective work practice and city as a space.

Gatari Surya Kusuma (b.1993)
Gatari adalah seorang pekerja budaya yang tinggal di Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Dia telah menjadi bagian dari Kelompok Studi Makanan Bakudapan sejak awal. Selain menjadi bagian dari Bakudapan, ia juga bekerja sebagai peneliti di KUNCI Study Forum & Collective. Ketertarikannya pada kolektif ini adalah untuk terus mengeksplorasi metode penelitian dan pemahaman pembelajaran. Dan juga tentang bagaimana pengetahuan diproduksi ulang dan dipertanyakan kembali dalam topik-topik tersebut. Akhir-akhir ini mereka sedang mengerjakan topik-topik seperti praktik kerja kolektif dan kota sebagai sebuah ruang.

Meivy Andriani Larasati (b. 1998)
Meivy is a researcher and translator with eclectic interests. Perhaps her years as an anthropology student may be responsible for this outlook as she continues striving to find meaning and wonder in the mundane. In Bakudapan, she found an expansive way to channel her misgivings about food and learn about collectivity. She is currently honing her skills in reading and writing, as well as volunteering. Sometimes she writes in her personal blog besokbesokbesok.wordpress.com

Meivy Andriani Larasati (b. 1998)
Meivy adalah seorang peneliti dan penerjemah dengan minat yang eklektik. Mungkin pengalamannya mempelajari antropologi budaya bertanggung jawab atas pandangannya ini, karena ia terus berusaha menemukan makna dan keajaiban dalam hal-hal yang biasa. Di Bakudapan, ia menemukan cara untuk menyalurkan keraguannya tentang makanan dan belajar tentang kolektivitas. Saat ini ia sedang mengasah kemampuannya dalam membaca dan menulis, serta menjadi sukarelawan. Terkadang ia menulis di blog pribadinya besokbesokbesok.wordpress.com

Monika Swastyastu (b 1994)
Monika is an independent researcher with a background in cultural anthropology. Her research covers topics such as identity, food security,foodways, ethical consumption, and green capitalism. She has a particular interest in food anthropology. Additionally, Monika is a self-taught cook who explores various flavors and recipes. Recently, she has been interested in developing wine with local fruits under her own label. She also has experience in the food and beverage business.

Monika Swastyastu (b 1994)
Monika adalah seorang peneliti independen dengan latar belakang antropologi budaya. Penelitiannya mencakup topik-topik seperti identitas, ketahanan pangan, kebiasaan makan, konsumsi etis, dan kapitalisme hijau. Ia memiliki minat khusus dalam antropologi pangan dan juga eksplorasi metodologi penelitian. Selain itu, Monika adalah seorang juru masak otodidak yang mengeksplorasi berbagai rasa dan resep. Baru-baru ini, ia tertarik mengembangkan wine dengan buah-buahan lokal di bawah labelnya sendiri. Ia juga memiliki pengalaman dalam bisnis makanan dan minuman.

Khairunnisa (b.1991)
Khairunnisa (Nisa) is an independent researcher and art worker. She co-founded Bakudapan Food Study Group after she graduated from the Cultural Anthropology Department at Gadjah Mada University. She is currently an active member in Struggles for Sovereignty. Through her experience working in collectives, she gained interest in experimenting with research practices and learning methods. Nisa’s ongoing research interests are care and domestic works, solidarity and knowledge production which she actively exercises in her practice personally and collectively.

Khairunnisa (b.1991)
Khairunnisa (Nisa) adalah seorang peneliti independen dan pekerja seni. Dia mendirikan Bakudapan Food Study Group bersama seorang teman setelah menyelesaikan jenjang sarjana di Antropologi Budaya, Universitas Gadjah Mada. Saat ini dia juga aktif sebagai anggota dari Struggles for Sovereignty. Sebagai seorang peneliti, Nisa memiliki ketertarikan dalam kerja domestik dan perawatan, solidaritas, dan pertukaran pengetahuan yang dia kembangkan baik secara personal maupun bersama kolektif.

Shilfina Putri Widatama (b. 1998)
Shilfina is currently involved in a range of communication work, from research-based artistic projects and project management to campaign and advocacy strategizing. Her practice mainly focuses on climate justice advocacy, with additional specialization in issues of energy sovereignty and development, gender, and ecology. Her analytical approach is influenced by her undergraduate study of philosophy at Universitas Gadjah Mada. She believes in the strength of collectivity and often contributes to the creation of illustrations, graphic design, and copywriting in her practice.

Shilfina Putri Widatama (b. 1998)
Saat ini Shilfina terlibat dalam berbagai kerja-kerja komunikasi, mulai dari proyek artistik berbasis penelitian, manajemen proyek hingga perencanaan kampanye dan advokasi. Kesehariannya yang berkutat dalam advokasi keadilan iklim juga memiliki fokus penekanan pada isu-isu kedaulatan energi serta pembangunan, gender, dan ekologi. Pendekatannya yang analitis juga dipengaruhi oleh studi sarjananya yaitu Ilmu Filsafat di Universitas Gadjah Mada. Shilfina percaya pada kekuatan kolektivitas dan sering berkontribusi dalam pembuatan ilustrasi, desain grafis, dan penulisan naskah dalam praktiknya.

Esty Wika Silva (b. 1994)
Silva is interested in issues related to the environment and daily activism, delving into emotions, psychology, and collective awareness that are interconnected in the everyday relationships between communities and individuals as a reflection, and using embroidery as an artistic medium to document and reflect the process. Silva is also interested in exploring textile waste management from her embroidery production for various needs such as crafting and slow fashion in small-scale. Apart from that, she works as a commissioned illustrator, writes fiction, and explores music culture and independent publishing

Esty Wika Silva (b. 1994)
Silva tertarik dengan isu-isu yang bersinggungan dengan lingkungan dan aktivisme sehari-hari, mendalami emosi, psikologi dan kesadaran kolektif yang saling terhubung dalam relasi sehari-hari antar komunitas dan individu sebagai refleksinya, dan menggunakan pendekatan artistik media sulam untuk mencatat proses tersebut. Silva juga tertarik mendalami pengolahan limbah tekstil dari proses produksi sulamnya untuk berbagai kebutuhan seperti slow fashion dan crafting dalam skala kecil. Selain itu, ia juga bekerja sebagai ilustrator komisi, menulis fiksi, mengeksplorasi kultur musik dan terbitan mandiri.