A Wimborne entrepreneur is attempting to broaden British pallets and emphasise the health benefits of Indonesian food, at Wimborne food festival this week.
Yayu Rini Slocock opens her home to the public, as her company A Taste of Rasa Sayang hosts a week of cooking demonstrations and tastings of her Indonesian food at Wimborne 10 festival from Oct. 26th- Nov. 1st. “Food is part of our lives, it is something you should respect and I don’t think people have enough information about it” Slocock explains.
“Food is part of our lives, it is something you should respect and I don’t think people have enough information about it” – Yayu Rini Slocock
Slocock was introduced to the health properties of different foods as a child in Indonesia and tries to incorporate these teachings into her cooking. “My grandmother would say: This food is good for me, but not for you. This made me want to know more. “It was one of the reasons I studied Biochemistry at University,” Slocock explained.
Slocock’s applies her studies and knowledge of traditional Javanese and Sumatran cooking to her recipes, using natural ingredients and numerous spices and herbs to add flavour. “Eating natural food is good for you. It helps your intelligence and improves your concentration, I saw it in my own children growing up.”
Cooking with natural ingredients can also be economical Slocock explained, she grows most of her own herbs in her back garden. “Did you know that if you grow your own herbs you can save over £100 a year!…If you cook like me”, she added.
“Did you know that if you grow your own herbs you can save over £100 a year!…If you cook like me” – Yayu Rini Slocock
With more than 400 recipes, Slocock hopes to teach people about the importance of using fresh, natural ingredients; offering demonstrations, tastings and is releasing a cookery book later this year. Slocock is full of variety, like her food, and according to her personal assistant Charlotte Land she is always on the move and full of energy.
Alongside A Taste of Rasa Sayang, she runs five companies: Advertising Hub, The Minster Press, South Coast Homes, Print Solutions and Publishing Solutions. A Taste of Rasa Sayang’s food week take place from Saturday the 26th to Friday the 1st Nov. at The Old Church House, 5 Mill Lane, Wimborne and will be £10 per pre-booked ticket.
Yayu’s Simply Indonesian cookery book (vol. 1), will include just over 50 of her dishes, and is due to come out in December, Miss Land said. “ Yayu’s food caters for the English taste pallet, with options to go hotter” Miss Land said, adding that for those who do like hotter food she offers her homemade chilli sauce.
