The remote Indonesian island of Sumba is set to host its first international food festival from October 4 to 18 this year, showcasing the island’s untapped culinary promise.

At first glance, Sumba doesn’t fit the typical image of a tropical food destination. Unlike its more well-known island neighbors Bali and Lombok, this remote island lacks sprawling spice plantations and the lush abundance of limes, chilies, and herbs. Much of the land looks dry, with fields dominated by hardy staples like cassava and corn.

But look closer, and Sumba reveals an extraordinary hidden richness—a world of flavors quietly waiting to be discovered. Native cacao pods ripen quietly; vanilla vines weave through hillside groves, and wild seaweed beds thrive in turquoise waters. At twice the size of Bali, Sumba’s varied terrain and climate zones hold vast agricultural potential, much still unprocessed, unexported, and undervalued.

Enter Cap Karoso, an award-winning boutique eco-resort on Sumba’s pristine coast, founded by French adventurers Fabrice and Evguenia Ivara. The couple first visited in 2017, instantly captivated by the island’s wild beauty and the Marapu culture woven into daily life. Small-scale gastronomic events showed the appetite was there for something bigger.

Savoring Sumba: The Festival Experience

That vision led to the creation of the inaugural Sumba Food Festival, designed to connect guests more intimately with the island’s land and people.

From October 4 to 18 2025, Cap Karoso will stage Sumba’s first international culinary celebration, bringing together ten acclaimed chefs from across Asia-Pacific to cook for more than 600 guests. The line-up features Michelin-starred and Asia’s 50 Best talents including Deepanker Khosla (Haoma, Bangkok), Sun Kim (Meta, Singapore), Mano Thevar (Thevar, Singapore), Janice Wong (2am:dessertbar, Singapore), and Will Goldfarb (Room4Dessert, Bali), recently named the world’s best pastry chef.

Over two weeks, guests can choose from more than 30 curated experiences —from intimate four-hands dinners bringing chefs from different countries and ocean-to-table fishing trips, to farm-to-table meals at Cap Karoso’s three-hectare organic farm. Once a barren, rocky plot, it now brims with vegetables and herbs sustained by permaculture techniques. Visitors are invited to step into the role of grower, trying their hand at mulching, composting, and sustainable water management—skills they can take back to their own gardens.

Larger-scale “food safaris” host up to 80 guests, winding through the island’s varied landscapes. Appetizers and aperitifs might appear on the beach, with mains and desserts served in a private villa—guests traveling by foot and buggy, each course paired with a different chef, menu, and setting, creating a lively journey through flavor and space.

A Social Mission on the Table

True to Cap Karoso’s ethos, portions of proceeds from the Sumba Food Festival will fund projects addressing clean water access, nutritional education, and sustainable farming workshops.

“In Sumba, many villagers, especially during the dry season, are limited in what they can afford to eat,” says Evguenia Ivara. The festival’s contributions aim to ease these challenges by supporting basic needs.

One pressing priority is clean water. Near the resort, a new well has already spared families from hours-long walks to fetch water—a task that once kept children from school. Yet similar hardships remain in remote villages, making such infrastructure vital.

Education is another focus. Many Cap Karoso staff are alumni of the Sumba Hospitality Foundation, a school that transforms not only students’ futures but those of their families and communities. To expand access, the festival will sponsor scholarships for students who couldn’t otherwise afford tuition, each costing around US$5,000 per year.

Additionally, the festival will provide seed funding to small food businesses working with native ingredients like cacao, seaweed, and cashew—helping them access global markets.

Beyond cashew nuts, very little is exported from here. Most crops, like corn, have little market value. Yet from experience, the Ivaras know the island’s ingredients hold untapped potential—some with unique flavors and qualities that only expert palates can truly appreciate.

“That discovery could spark more refined production and eventually help communities build sustainable export markets,” Fabrice Ivara adds. “The best way to elevate these ingredients is to have celebrated chefs create dishes featuring local vanilla, cacao, and more—shining a spotlight on their unique qualities.”

Chef’s Voices

A taste of the philosophies and passions guiding the culinary stars of the Sumba Food Festival.

Sumba Food Festival - Chef Deepanker Khosla of Haoma, Bangkok

Sumba Food Festival - Chef Will Goldfarb of Room4Dessert, Bali

Sumba Food Festival - Chef Loïc Portalier of Louise, Hong Kong

Sumba Food Festival - Chef Grégoire Berger, Ex-Ossiano, Dubai

Sumba Food Festival - Chef Syrco Bakker of Syrco Basè, Bali

Chefs Embrace Sumba’s Spirit

Sitting between Asia and the Pacific, Sumba’s line-up leans toward talent from the region—Singapore, Japan, Thailand—rather than flying in names from further afield. Philosophy matters just as much. The Ivaras have sought chefs curious enough to leave the comfort of their well-stocked kitchens and immerse themselves in Sumba, elevating what the island offers. The result is a roster that thrives on creative challenges.

Among them is celebrated Singaporean dessert chef Janice Wong. “The moment I heard about food safaris and ocean-to-table journeys, I knew this was my kind of festival. I’ve always believed in using only ingredients from the land and sea where I’m creating—no imports,” she said.

In the Maldives, Wong has worked with what the ocean gives; in Poland, she embraced vodka and currants. Sumba, she says, offers the chance to discover ingredients in their purest form, just like the Melbourne strawberries that once changed her life.

“I want to taste Sumba—really taste it. Those grassy, earthy, smoky notes that exist only when you experience produce at its source,” she adds. Her approach is to let the land teach her: visiting farms, meeting fishermen, understanding the stories behind each ingredient, then translating them into edible art.

Wong is particularly intrigued by Sumba’s wild honey, native seaweed varieties, and any indigenous cacao she can find. As a bean-to-bar chocolatier, she’s always on the hunt for unique terroir. She envisions chocolate made from local cacao brushed with honey, or seaweed transformed into crisp textures no one has experienced before.

For the food safari, she imagines an edible journey that mirrors the island itself—from land to ocean. Picture interactive installations where guests can taste Sumba’s story through different textures and temperatures: chocolate soil representing the earth, crystallized seaweed capturing the ocean’s essence. “Each bite will be a memory of place,” she says.

“My role is to be a curious learner first, innovative collaborator second. By working directly with local producers and showcasing their ingredients in unexpected ways, we can create new value chains.”

A Festival for the Future

Alongside its culinary program, the festival offers 15 cultural experiences that celebrate Sumba’s soul, from traditional dance and village visits to wellness rituals, DJ sets, pastry workshops and film nights under the stars for younger guests.

The Ivaras envision the festival becoming an annual event that brings together the entire island, “Cap Karoso was born from a feeling, standing on a beach in Sumba, and sensing something sacred in the stillness. The Sumba Food Festival is a natural extension of that moment. It’s not just a celebration of world-class chefs and bold flavours; it’s a deeper invitation to explore a place that reveals itself slowly.”

It’s clear that Sumba’s story is one of transformation: from rugged isolation to an emerging culinary destination; from subsistence farming to sustainable agriculture; from a hidden island to a connected global community. In the rhythm of Sumba’s land and sea, a quiet reverence invites visitors to taste a world that’s still unfolding.

The Sumba Food Festival takes place from October 4 to 18.

Sumba’s Secret Ingredient: How the Island’s First Food Festival is Tapping into Hidden Potential

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