Indonesian Cooking Club Empowers Women Amidst Rising Costs

The Natural Cooking Club (NCC) transforms kitchens into spaces for learning, creativity, and economic support, particularly for women.

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Most members are mothers who have food businesses, food or cake businesses that the mothers do.

Fatimah, the NCC chair, explained that most members are women aged 20 to 50, many of whom are mothers running home-based food businesses. "Most members are mothers who have food businesses, food or cake businesses that the mothers do," Fatimah stated at a cooking event in Jakarta on June 17, 2026.

Fatimah emphasizes that a willingness to learn is more crucial than innate cooking talent for success in the culinary field. "The important thing is that each member is willing to learn, then willing to try and do it. Well, once they do it, they will usually be able to. From there, it will be continuously developed," she said. This philosophy underpins the community's long-standing culinary activities, which include recipe sharing and publishing cookbooks to enhance cooking skills for members and the public. NCC also freely shares recipes online.

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The important thing is that each member is willing to learn, then willing to try and do it. Well, once they do it, they will usually be able to. From there, it will be continuously developed.

However, a significant challenge now faces home-based culinary entrepreneurs: the rising cost of ingredients. Fatimah expressed shock at the price surges, noting butter prices jumped from around IDR 300,000 to over IDR 500,000 per can, with eggs and other staples also increasing. This situation makes it difficult for small businesses. Fatimah stated that rather than compromise product quality, she chooses to increase prices, even at the risk of losing customers. "If we lower the quality of the food we make, that's not good for the future, so we are forced to raise prices too, and follow the increase in raw material prices," she said.

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The butter price per can used to be IDR 300,000, suddenly it's over IDR 500,000. I was really shocked, not to mention the price of eggs and other ingredients.

Community support remains a strong motivator. Angle, an NCC member who participated in a cooking demonstration, shared her journey of learning to cook at age 32. Despite initial frustrations and failures, the community's encouragement kept her going. "When I first learned, like me, I only started learning at age 32," she said.

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If we lower the quality of the food we make, that's not good for the future, so we are forced to raise prices too, and follow the increase in raw material prices.