ONE afternoon in the second half of 1965, Raden Soejoso Poegoeh gathered his family for lunch at their home on Jalan Sumbawa No. 23, West Jakarta. The Navy commodore—equivalent today to a rear admiral—had an important announcement for his wife and children.

The lunch menu was special, featuring all of Poegoeh’s favorite dishes: fried tempeh, mix vegetables in peanut sauce, and fried chicken. His family assembled around the dini