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INDONESIA
the scepticism of the buying public to convince them to buy his produce. To keep a long story short, he now runs a very popular restaurant in Yogyakarta, where all the dishes on the menu feature locally grown mushrooms. Jejamuran – which means mushroom restaurant in Indonesian - is a very pleasant place to dine. Two beautifully decorated rooms offer seating for 250 guests. In between the rooms is a small shop, and a lovely display showing all the types of mushrooms cultivated and cooked on site. There is also a large notice board featuring recent press cuttings, including a great photo of Ratidjo with the president – who is in fact a customer, with regular deliveries being made to the presidential palace. It’s hard to image better publicity! Ratidjo’s wife, Indaryati, their son Adi and a staff of 60 use 300 kg of ten different varieties of mushrooms every day to prepare an ama- zing array of dishes. What all the dishes on the menu have in common is that not one piece of meat is used! From early in the morning until late at night, waiters pass by bearing trays of the most fragrant and tempting dishes. Even the drinks menu is a surprise: half of the beverages contain at least one mushroom ingredient.
Own spawn and production Ratidjo is the pater familias of a true family-run firm: mother and son Adi are in charge of the restaurant kitchen, father and son Agung organise the production and supply of the mushrooms. Spawn is not for sale in Indonesia, so they also have their own spawn labora- tory. A total of 16 people work in the separate areas for the production of mother spawn and spawn. Maize and rice, with additives, are used as the raw materials. This is placed in bottles or small bags. The lab produces for its own use, and also for about 15 satellite growers, who sell back their entire harvest to Ratidjo. A small portion of the spawn is intended for Volvariella growers on is- lands some distance away. The laboratory appeared to be well-organised, and the end products look healthy. The growing rooms are located on the same site, but
The casing soil is pasteurised in small portions.
At the can- ning facility, a vertical autoclave is being loaded.
at some distance from the spawn laboratory. A central corridor is flanked on both sides by a row of home built growing rooms, containing bamboo shelving. Some of the rooms, where white and brown mushrooms are grown, are equipped with air conditioning and climate installations. Traditional cultivation methods are used for Volvariella and Pleurotus florida. The other varieties of mushrooms are mainly grown on the satellite farms.
Satellite farms We next visited a Shiitake grower, followed by a grower who produces Pleurotus, Auricularia and Shiitake. Both growers live and work on the slopes of Mount Merapi, an active volcano that erupts regularly. The last time it erupted was just five years ago. Fortunately, evacua- tion was started in time and there were no victims, but all the crops were lost. The growers make their own substrate based on wood and bran: each bag contains about 3 kg, and is sealed by a cotton wool plug. After pasteurisation at 95 degrees Celsius, a series of 30 bags are incubated with one bottle of spawn. Some 1500 blocks a day are produced, which are neatly stac- ked in rows and left to incubate. Although this happens in conditions that could be more hygienic, the infec- tion percentage is not more than just a few per cent. Afterwards the Auricularia polytricha and Pleurotus florida substrates are arranged to form vertical walls, so the fruiting bodies can be picked easily. This method doesn’t work with Shiitake, so the blocks of substrate are simply placed on the growing room floor.
Unforgettable Back at Jejamuran we were served with a tasting menu that almost defies description. We enjoyed an unforget- table parade of colourful soups, mild and spicy stews, skewered mushrooms and fried rice treats, each dish more original than the other. It’s little wonder that the restaurant is fast on its way to becoming one of the top tourist attractions of Java. Many a cook could return home having learned a wise lesson! ◗
Growing on bamboo racks, 6 tiers high.
Ratidjowith his son and cook Adi Handito in Jejamuran restaurant in Yogyakarta.
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