Imported ingredients from abroad also played a role in the development of the kretek cigarette industry, as the materials for kretek had been imported from Madagascar and Zanzibar, at present in TanzaniaKudus, Central Java (ANTARA) - A historian has pressed for promoting Kretek Museum in Kudus, Central Java, to draw foreign tourists, as it is the only known museum dedicated to kretek, a popular cigarette formula developed in the city.
"Imported ingredients from abroad also played a role in the development of the kretek cigarette industry, as the materials for kretek had been imported from Madagascar and Zanzibar, at present in Tanzania," historian and lecturer from Kudus' Syekh Jangkung Pati Islamic College, Edy Supratno, stated ihere on Wednesday.
Kretek Museum could serve as a meeting point for local farmers and international tobacco industries on account of the fact that interactions with foreign nations had played an influential role in kretek's history and development, he stated.
The historian suggested the authority to invite ambassadors from countries that had exported materials for kretek in the past to allow them to witness contributions made by their country for the development of kretek.
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Apart from inviting foreign officials, the Kudus authority could also invite commercial stars and historians to visit the museum as the first step to develop the Kretek Museum further, he affirmed.
"The Kretek industry in Kudus has played a role in international trade since the past, as the industry's demand for cloves produced abroad was high despite the commodity also being produced by Maluku," Supratno stated.
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International trade has contributed to popularizing the kretek cigarette produced in Kudus and to commemorate kretek's past and current developments, for which the promotion of Kretek Museum must be encouraged and continued, the historian remarked.
Supratno also reminded the Kudus authority regarding an incomplete mission that the museum had sought since the museum's establishment in October 1986, which is to honor the Jamhari family as the inventor of kretek.
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Translator: Akhmad Nazaruddin, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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