When food is heritage

Mona

Come October and the culinary capital of the country – Amritsar — hosts the first-ever World Heritage Cuisine Summit. As many as 40 countries bring their authentic fare to India in an effort to spread the best of the recipes that have stood the test of time.

“Changing times are making the world embrace the latest and in this rat race, we are losing a wealth of culinary heritage,” opens up Chef Manjit Gill, who helms the upcoming summit. Qila Gobindgarh becomes the befitting backdrop for this fair. “It has been the efforts of some three decades due to which India has registered its strong presence in the World Association of Chefs. Hosting food experts from different nations is a great way to showcase our rich culture.”

Watch out

The three-day event would have — World Kitchen, Tasting of traditional recipes by chefs from 15 countries; Master Classes: Plating and display of traditional food by chefs from 40 countries, and, 20 from India - regional specialties from across India with a special focus on Amritsar street food! Needless to say, a visit to Golden Temple figures prominently in the programme; in fact, there would be an early morning chefs’ procession.

Chef Gill, President, Indian Federation of Culinary Associations, has been recently awarded the prestigious Escoffier Medal at the Worldchefs Congress & Expo 2018. Well-travelled, he considers Indian cuisine to be well-documented, “The art and science of Indian food has ample to contribute to the world when it comes to healthy eating.”

He mentions how Punjabi food is synonymous with Indian worldwide, “However, apart from Punjabi, regional dishes would also be part of the heritage summit.”

He continues to strive for getting Punjabi cuisine acknowledged and listed under the Food Edition of UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.

(Open to public, the Heritage Summit will be held from October 12-14 at Qila Gobindgarh, Amritsar)