There is nothing more comforting than a plateful of freshly prepared homemade food. However, ever so often, we are tempted to break the monotony, give our working hands a break and treat ourselves to a fine-dining experience. In modern times, food is not only limited to appeasing one’s palettes. And with the rampaging effect social media has had on people, well-prepared and aesthetically appealing meals serve as the perfect ensemble to hit our Instagram feed. Gourmet food is an experience in itself – both for the taste buds and the visual senses.
Whilst restaurants and cafés in metro cities are far ahead in terms of variety and execution, smaller two-tier cities like Shillong are slow to catch up, but new luxurious dining eateries and restaurants are now scattered around the city, serving some of the most delectable assortment of gourmet food. Some of these places are situated in scenic locations – an added refreshing bonus.
However, it does not take one to be keen-eyed to notice that most of these gourmet servings are limited to continental, Chinese and Indian cuisines. A local rendition of gourmet is a rare sight. One hardly sees the beloved jadoh presented on a fancy platter or preparations of liver, gizzard, intestines or marrow as in European gourmet cuisine.
What do some of the prominent names in Shillong’s dining industry have to say about this gaping hole in the market for high dining?
Chef Ben Wankhar says that translating local Khasi food into gourmet isn’t an alien or a novel concept. Attempts have been and are still being made to represent local recipes from all corners of the state in a larger, much mainstream manner. However, this culinary endeavour is not without its challenges. Whilst it is rather straightforward to master common continental recipes, the same cannot be said when it comes to executing local recipes. Ben says he has taken local recipes in cities like Delhi; however, “the success is limited” and that being able to enjoy local recipes from the Northeast as a whole “is an acquired taste” in a country famous for never straying from its cultural and religious limitations on food. Even abroad, Indians are known to be unadventurous eaters.
Culinary director Uttam Thangkhiew also says there are challenges that come in the way of culinary endeavours when experimenting with Khasi, Pnar and Garo cuisines. He says he has presented gourmet variations of local cuisines, but on a small scale. “It gets very challenging. Most Northeastern recipes have ingredients and flavours that might seem alien to people outside our circle, and so it is essential to have an understanding and the know-how of combining ingredients that complement each other. We have to understand how to put them across.” He also pointed out how most people associate local Khasi cuisines to be heavily non-vegetarian. He said that the variety and versatility the state has to offer in terms of greens and herbs are often overlooked, and conscious efforts must be made to also increasingly incorporate them into the dining experience. He also emphasised the need to bring together rich culinary experiences from all over the state under one roof.
We also spoke to freelance bartender and chef Adonijah Lyngdoh, who curates local cuisines from Meghalaya incorporating “modern techniques of plating and cooking, and also using equipment like a smoke gun and sous vide machine”. He curates Khasi fusion dishes using local ingredients such as black sesame seed and jayur. “According to me, Khasi food is not about using old tradition but modifying it using modern techniques that the culinary industry is using”. However, things are not always smooth-sailing. He shared how it is important to combine the right kind of ingredients under the right circumstances. It is something that was achieved only after extensive experimentation, dedication and time. There are times when certain food items cannot be prepared because of the dearth of seasonal ingredients, such as when making sohïong desserts and ice-creams. The prospects are bright, he said, for local cuisine to translate properly into gourmet, but it will require experimentation and normalisation, especially for those whose idea of fine dining is still limited to an Indianised form of Italian food or simply Mughlai and Punjabi flavours.
Seasoned media professional and food activist Raja Sharma Rymbai, on the other hand, is of the belief that there is no immediate necessity to bring about any change or to experiment with our local cuisines or any other tribal cuisines, for that matter. However, with the arrival of digitalisation, westernisation and the popularity of social media, there is added pressure to stay relevant and to also modernise our culture, which also includes our cuisines. He says we can definitely present our food as fine-dining experiences but efforts should be made to avoid modernising or tweaking our food, thereby ruining its essence. He also mentioned that he has presented beloved local cuisines as they are to connoisseurs abroad, and the reception has been phenomenal.
“Food is identity. What you eat is what you are, and what you will pursue”, he said. He also added that a sense of pride needs to be imbibed when it comes to representing our food. “There is beauty in our food, along with great flavour and concept, and a reasoning behind what we consume”. He emphasised the need to pass on our appreciation of local food in its essence to the coming generations. Presenting it in a more refined manner is definitely a welcome change, but its originality is something that must not be tampered with.