Among the global debates last year that passed comparatively unnoticed in India was one sparked by celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay. He had appealed on BBC, no less, for restaurants to use only local food, and called for parliamentary legislation to be enacted on the issue. And stipulated fines for those who did not follow the dictate.
Despite the occasional tantrum, the debate over seasonal food has long been settled in the West. Try as you will, a Michelin star restaurant is unlikely to offer anything that is not seasonal. For the West has a god bigger than the customer. And that?s the Chef. Think Amitabh Bachchan in his 2007 film, Cheeni Kum. Chefs have had no small role to play in changing the patterns of dining out in the West, but they almost pander to the customer here, says a leading chef, on condition of anonymity.
?Indians are getting more aware about the need for seasonal food,? points out Bakshish Dean, Executive Chef, The Park, Delhi, who pioneered the concept of seasonal menus at his Indian restaurant, Fire. ?Health, fresher looks and cost effectiveness, all make sense.? However this is easier said than achieved. For the general approach for a lot of the customers has been, ?aaj special kya khilaoge,? points out Ashish Joshi, Executive Sous Chef, Jaypee Vasant Continental. And top-end restaurants have tried to out do each other in serving up the most exotic, unseasonal and occasionally downright silly, with higher prices rather than any culinary facet being the selling factor.
?When guests request for some non seasonal vegetables, we try to comply with the request as much as possible while making the guest aware that the product is not in season and that the quality may differ. We also provide an alternative solution that may meet their expectation,? says Mitele Sbardellini, Executive Chef, Park Hyatt Goa Resort. However Joshi also points that increasingly the guest is asking for seasonal food, estimating that about 30-35% of them know what they want. ?The Indian customer has travelled extensively of late, getting a lot of exposure? says Deepak Bhatia, Executive Chef Hyatt Regency, Mumbai. ?He wants to eat right, so there just are a few things we import eg rocket lettuce or scallops or tuna. And we change 60-80% of the menu every quarter to ensure seasonality.?
Most chefs however point out that people also eat out to break the monotony of home food, which means there should be twist to the preparation to the one they would generally prepare at home. A few years ago, lauki or tinda (bottle or round gourd) would have been difficult to find on the menus. Today they are common. Of late both chefs and guests are very conscious of the concept of ?Sole (Sustainable, Organic, Local, and Ethical) food? which means that they are interested if the food is from a sustainable source, local farmer, organic or nearly organic source and is it ethical to eat such foods, says Amit Chowdhury, Executive Chef, Taj Mahal Hotel, Delhi. Similarly, Avinash Deshmukh, F&B manager, Sheraton park, Chennai swears by locavore principles, wherein the food is local and also seasonal. ?We have a section on the menu with offerings like bruchetta topped with local greens, and the reaction is quite positive,? he says.
Hotels usually change their menus two to four times a year, with intermittent ?In summer, we replace curries with salan, which is curd based,? says Shiladitya Samaddar, Junior Sous Chef, The Maurya, Delhi. ?There is a change in the marination for kebabs, pulao would be replaced by tamarind or lemon rice, biryanis have more of fresh herbs spicing, we avoid shellfish, broccoli and winter carrots. The halwa is dudhi or lauki instead of gajar.? And the seasonal principle is followed by international cuisines too. ?In summer, for Italian, we prepare more of the cuisine from Emilia Romagna, and avoid heavy sauces. There is clear distinction between summer and winter cuisines in France and we follow that. For Tex-Mex or Mediterranean cuisine too, we make appropriate changes.? He even changes the d?cor at his restaurant, Pavilion, to go with the season, with runners and cutlery carrying primary colours in winter and lemons, sky blues and light greens in summer!
Similarly Deshmukh tries to discourage Chettinad cuisine during summer, instead urging people to opt for meen moilies or stews. ?Expats are usually happy that there is local, seasonal food on offer,? he points out. Mohamed Siddiq, Executive Chef, Fisherman?s Cove Chennai has low GI breakfasts that has on offer broken what upma or green moong dosa. ?Specialty restaurants tend to offer lighter food than coffee shops,? he says, and confidently predicts that leading Indian hotel chains will move further on the seasonal path as more international hotel chains, where the practices are well established already, open in India. Sudipto Bandhopadhyaya, Executive Assistant manager, F&B, Radisson points out that the more local the produce, the lesser the food miles and carbon footprint for a generation that is increasingly going to be bothered by ?eco-logic? of their lifestyles.
Not that Indians are unaware of the seasonal food or its importance, for by default, at home they have seasonal food. But given that many of lifestyle diseases are compounded by obesity or lack of proper diet, curbing the urge for carrots in summer and kiwis at large may help. And please Ramsay acolytes no end.