Ayo Makan! Come Eat!

Inspired by her Indonesian grandmother’s cooking and baking, Agatha Almunir (Indonesian 2019) is sharing Indonesian culture through food via her website and cookbook, Ayo Makan!, inviting readers to “come eat!” Developed with her sister, recipes are written in both English and Indonesian, with information on the background and cultural context for the foods provided alongside them. Through their companion Instagram page, they provide content beyond recipes, including language cards, lists of Indonesian restaurants in the U.S., Indonesian food trends throughout the world, and the history of tempeh.

The physical cookbook was distributed across the U.S. and in particular was provided to the Carolina Asia Center, for its teacher library and cultural kit program, which provides free materials to K-16 educators throughout North Carolina. Agatha plans to distribute the book to other public institutions, once pandemic-related book donation restrictions are lifted. Agatha had planned to host a pop-up cooking event to kickoff publication of the book but was unable to do so due to the pandemic.

“Overall, our goal was to reduce the lack of resources on Indonesian language and culture in the U.S. We are glad we were able to accomplish this goal by establishing an engaging, accessible resource digitally and directly into the hands of individuals. The Ayo Makan Online! site will continue to be an ongoing platform and our book will provide students an additional, permanent learning resource they can use to learn more about Indonesia. With this opportunity, I personally have been able to really work on my Indonesian language skills by writing and translating the recipes. It has also allowed me to learn more about Indonesia’s history and cultural ideals, and I gained new connections with organizations and individuals interested in exchanging cultural resources.”