Client: Culinary Institute of America
Area: South India
Aim: Gain a deeper understanding of South Indian cuisine
The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) has been training students in the culinary arts for nearly 80 decades and for a premier institute whose motto is “Food is Life”, it comes as no surprise that when they wanted to bring a delegation of 13 students accompanied by 2 teachers to discover just how seriously their motto is taken in the southern states of India, they chose to break away from the conventional and come to us.
Their brief to us was clear. They wanted the delegation to:
- Identify ingredients that are indigenous to southern India
- Discover, analyse, and compare the cultural and historical influences that have shaped the cuisines of that region
- Cultivate a deep appreciation of the food, culture and hospitality of the area
- Learn the cultural and practical application of plant based cuisine in southern India
- Identify equipment specific to the preparation of food unique to the kitchens there
- Practice specialised cooking techniques such as fermentation, steaming, and tandoor cooking
For them, we organised an experience that was as delectable as it was immersive. Local cuisines, backwater journeys, visits to producers, interactions with makers – we organised an experience that not only whetted their appetite for learning but also completely sated it.
