Sebelum Halal Menjadi Batas: Kajian Historis Keragaman Kuliner Nusantara dalam Mustika Rasa Sebelum Diskursus Halal Menguat Tahun 1967–1989

Abstract

Mustika Rasa (1967) is one of the most significant culinary publications produced during the early New Order period in Indonesia. It has generally been regarded as a compilation of traditional recipes and a record of Indonesia's culinary heritage. However, as a cookbook published by the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Indonesia, Mustika Rasa also constitutes a historiographical document that reflects the state's construction of knowledge concerning Indonesia's culinary diversity. This study examines the representation of Indonesian culinary diversity in Mustika Rasa, analyzes the placement of ingredients and dishes that are categorized as non-halal in contemporary discourse, and explains the continuity and change in the representation of Indonesian culinary identity before and after the strengthening of halal discourse in the late 1980s. The research employs the historical method, consisting of heuristics, source criticism, interpretation, and historiography, combined with content analysis of Mustika Rasa as the primary historical source. The findings demonstrate that Mustika Rasa represented Indonesia's culinary diversity through a documentary approach aimed at cataloguing national food resources without classification based on religious identity. Ingredients and dishes that are currently categorized as non-halal were presented alongside other culinary traditions according to the social and cultural context of 1967. The subsequent strengthening of halal discourse in the late 1980s altered the representation of certain food ingredients, illustrating both continuity and change in the construction of Indonesian culinary identity. This study contributes to Indonesian food historiography by positioning Mustika Rasa as a historiographical document that not only records culinary practices but also reveals how the state constructed knowledge about food, culinary diversity, and national identity during the early New Order.