Indonesia Ministry of Trade promotes culinary exports and addresses Malaysia boycott calls

Indonesia's Ministry of Trade is launching the S’RASA (Rasa Rempah Indonesia) program as part of the 41st Trade Expo Indonesia, scheduled for October 14-18, 2026, at ICE BSD City. Minister of Trade Budi Santoso stated the initiative aims to introduce Indonesian culinary richness and promote the use of national food products, spices, and seasonings within the global culinary industry to create sustainable international demand.

The S’RASA pavilion will feature cooking demonstrations of signature dishes, including rendang, sate ayam, nasi goreng, gado-gado, mie bakso, and soto ayam, to showcase the country's diverse flavors to international buyers.

Separately, Minister Budi Santoso addressed recent calls on social media to boycott certain Indonesian food and beverage brands operating in Malaysia. Following communications with the Indonesian Trade Attaché and the Embassy in Malaysia, the Minister characterized the boycott calls as a temporary issue. He noted that the situation remains under control and does not significantly impact the trade relationship between Indonesia and Malaysia.