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Vino, vidi, vici in the mountains
Michael Juergens was pleasantly surprised when he went to Bhutan to run a marathon. “I was taken aback to see how fertile the valleys were. So I naturally assumed the country had wineries,” recalls the senior partner at Deloitte and a certified sommelier. Surprised to realise there weren’t any, he wrote a white paper on why and how Bhutan could grow world-class wine, and sent it to the government. The government was so interested in his proposal that it decided to donate the land and partnered with him on the project. Juergens teamed up with …
Packing for a train journey
In Delhi, Chanakyapuri is a high-profile area that is replete with foreign embassies, plush five-star hotels and broad avenues. While the diplomatic heart of India primarily invites dignitaries, now it could be a stop-over for the Indian musafir too who can satiate their taste buds dining on a train without boarding it! A new rail-themed restaurant, Kapasaa, has opened, converting an actual 3,000 kg rail coach into a 55-seater restaurant, offering dishes that are not just named after trains in India but also bring flavours of the places they …
Making peace with a truant river
Imagine an extended Walden Pond set in the Kerala idyll and you have Moozhikulam Sala, a pastoral housing colony for city people 28 km from Kochi in Kerala. As a mixed metaphor, one of the first things to catch your eye at the entrance is that there is no gate. A few metres inside, stands a large banyan tree with overhanging branches. The mud paths abound in dry leaves. There is a good deal of vegetation: peanut, banana, fig, bamboo, sandalwood and cannonball trees. Because the Sala is right next to the Chalakudy river, a gentle breeze blows …
Aurangabad: The gully gourmet’s heirloom recipes
Food is ubiquitous in Aurangabad. Famous for its exquisite, centuries-old, rock-cut temples, sculptures and paintings of the UNESCO-endorsed Ellora and Ajanta Caves, the city is also a gastronomic haven. Mughlai? Check. Arabic? Check. Nizami/Marathwada? Check, check. Much of this culinary diversity has to do with the city’s syncretic culture. Founded by the Abyssinian slave-turned-warrior Malik Ambar in 1610 as Khadki, and ruled subsequently by everyone from the Ahmadnagar Sultanate to Mughal Badshah Aurangazeb and the Nizams of Hyderabad, th…
Ekaa: Desi-style dive bar
There are many things you look for when it comes to choosing a good dive bar. Fabulous drinks, a space with character, a super playlist and small plates that bring in delicious elements of storytelling. Restaurateur Sagar Neve and Chef Niyati Rao come together to unveil Mumbai’s elevated daaru-chakna bar, Bombay Daak. Food: Quirky and fun. Think Milkmaid prawns mapped from Rao’s regular food outings at her Tamilian neighbour’s house in Singapore, complete with curry patta and gunpowder. Spam—the canned pork that became a hot favourite during …
Hunting in Nature’s Garden of Edibles
forage/foridz/ verb (of a person or animal) search widely for food or provisions All that is old becomes new is the way of the world. Millennia ago, our ancestors roamed the land looking for food. Later, with increasing urbanisation, the practice became restricted to indigenous communities. But now, there is a renewed interest in foraging with a growing emphasis on eating local, reducing our carbon footprint and reconnecting with nature. And people such as Shruti Tharayil, who conducts online sessions on wild edibles and medicinal plants, ac…
Deliciously vintage
Step into the vibrant world of heirloom tomatoes, where each fruit carries a story as rich as its flavours. Rooted in tradition, farmers select the juiciest, sweetest, and most colourful tomatoes each season, harvesting and saving their seeds to plant anew when the warmth of spring arrives. These valued varieties, evoke a sense of nostalgia for culinary traditions long cherished. As the global food scene embraces a renaissance of authenticity, they reclaim their rightful place at the centre of our plates. From rustic farms to gourmet kitchens…
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