What does it mean to grow up between two cultures – when neither fully claims you – but both shape who you are?

Kris Redden is a cookbook writer, musician, and community organiser born in Jakarta to an Indonesian mother and Australian father. After moving to regional Australia in his teens, Kris has spent years navigating questions of belonging, identity, and cultural memory – reflections that now find form in a cookbook he’s co-writing with his partner and friends. His work spans storytelling, food, and community-building, all grounded in a mixed heritage that’s as rich as it is complex.

In this episode, Kris joins Billy Adison Aditijanto on The Perantau Podcast to talk about finding connection through food, the long histories between Indonesia and Indigenous Australia, and how a near-death experience pushed him to embrace life more fully. Together, they reflect on music, memory, community survival, and why diasporic stories matter now more than ever.This episode is delivered in a mix of English and Bahasa Indonesia.The views expressed by our guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host, the podcast or any organisations they are affiliated with or mentioned.