Helena Smit

Helena Smit is a Dutch Culinary Heritage Professional whose work focuses on the culinary heritage between Indonesia and the Netherlands, and how this shared history continues to shape how Indonesian food is understood, represented, and positioned today. She works at the intersection of Indonesian food culture, colonial history, and diaspora, examining how these dynamics play out in the Netherlands, Indonesia, and beyond. Her work is not about recipes, but about context, questioning ideas of authenticity and who gets to define Indonesian food in postcolonial and diasporic settings. She is Director of the non-profit organisation Eating Habits, co-author of Makanologie, co-organiser of the symposium Indonesian Food outside Indonesia, Founder of Indofoodtours, and Editor-in-chief of RAKUS Magazine.

Helena Smit adalah praktisi warisan kuliner asal Belanda yang banyak membahas hubungan sejarah kuliner Indonesia dan Belanda, serta bagaimana sejarah tersebut masih memengaruhi cara makanan Indonesia dipahami dan diperkenalkan hingga saat ini. Melalui pekerjaannya, Helena menyoroti hubungan antara budaya makanan Indonesia, sejarah kolonial, dan kehidupan diaspora di Belanda, Indonesia, dan berbagai tempat lainnya. Fokusnya bukan hanya pada resep, tetapi juga cerita dan konteks di balik makanan, termasuk pertanyaan tentang keaslian dan siapa yang menentukan bagaimana makanan Indonesia dipahami di berbagai negara. Ia merupakan Direktur organisasi nirlaba Eating Habits, salah satu penulis Makanologie, pendiri Indofoodtours, co-organiser simposium Indonesian Food outside Indonesia, serta Editor-in-chief RAKUS Magazine.