5 - Pasar Cihapit: A Barometer of Culinary Trends in Bandung

This paper examines the means through which the nano-scape of Pasar Cihapit (or Cihapit market) in Bandung has survived the onslaught of the modern market micro-scape to become a barometer of local culinary trends. Indonesian Traditional markets, often considered outcompeted by modern supermarkets and minimarkets, are currently struggling to maintain operations in light of various internal problems such as dirty buildings, poor air circulation, and inadequate sanitation. However, Pasar Cihapit, a traditional market in Bandung, has survived this transition by successfully revitalizing into a modern foodscape. This revitalisation has been achieved through collaboration between the market’s management, the government, academics, and artists; revitalisation efforts include the decoration of walls with colourful murals, and the construction of a meeting room and library for traders and their children. 

This paper uses qualitative methods to analyze detailed data pertaining to 10 individual shop/stall owners in the market collected through field observation as well as in-depth interviews with both visitors and vendors themselves. The paper illustrates how Pasar Cihapit has survived as a traditional market by transforming according to wider trends in global market foodscapes: ready-to-eat foods are sold and eating spaces provided to give visitors a novel experience; stall owners decorate their stalls to enhance the shopping experience; food vendors explore local ingredients and create innovative menus to provide customers with a unique, local dining experience. In taking Pasar Cihapit as an exemplar nano-scape case study, this paper explores the response of a traditional foodscape when faced with obsolescence.