The Grazing Table and its Grand Charm

It's the time of the year when festivities are at its peak! As the temperatures plummet, the charm of outdoor picnics or evening soirees doubles. However lavish a party may be, what one always remembers is the food served. And if it's visually appealing, it certainly gets more brownie points.

Well, the trend in focus here is a grazing table that's making much noise lately. Without sounding boastful, I’d like to say I've been doing these for the last 10 years. We may call it antipasto or antipasti, or a grand table…it goes by so many different names.

It's catching the attention of people today for obvious reasons. I would say it's a fabulous concept and most importantly, it's so appealing (almost Instagram-worthy as people say today); the burst of colour is the highlight. Plus, the food is perfectly contoured or landscaped in a manner that is visually striking.

In my opinion, food and drinks for an event or celebration is the highlight and makes noise days after the gathering has ended.

With grazing tables, there's also an added advantage. Not only are they perfect for close knit or intimate gatherings, they also allow guests to pick and choose what they want to eat out of the table vis-a-vis being constantly nudged by a server that inevitably breaks the flow of conversations.

Furthermore, these grazing tables build a sense of community. Most of these tables are set up outside of a restaurant or hotel; it's an exclusive, occasional affair. But it may be interesting to see if a grazing table can bring in strangers to bond, while they nibble out of a common table. It could also work as a great networking opportunity.

On the flipside, it may not be appreciated by a lot of people. So, we've really got to test it out!

There is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to building a grazing table. At Krisa Catering by Chef Om and The Pasta Bowl Company, our usual grazing table is full of cheeses, cold cuts, dips, a section of breads, solitaire or individual portioned salads, bruschettas, crostinis and similar foods. It's a combination of warm and cold appetisers.

Interestingly, a grazing table can also include a mix of various cuisines. You can have a Mediterranean grazing table with a tagine and a heater underneath.

All in all, a grazing table needs to be well-balanced. It could also have main courses served the way it is. While some form of experimentation can be done, I have largely seen a Med-Euro kind of setup.

As they say, let your imagination run wild. This applies to grazing tables perfectly…I've even done a South Indian grazing table with interesting starters and main courses at the centre of the table.

While there aren't many challenges when it comes to grazing tables, the only thing I feel is one can't set up this concept against a wall. I personally feel it has to be accessible to people from all around…it must also include a selection of food that can be nibbled but is filling at the same time.

Besides, since it's presentation-heavy and makes use of lots of platters, a large inventory is required. But the ground rule is to know how to balance flavours, else it won't work.

The opportunities are endless. So I say, graze away!