THINKING LOCAL FOOD - A NEW NORM

When you celebrated the welcoming of the New Year on the night of 31st December 2019..... Did you ever imagine that the entire world will be in lockdown just a few months from then? As Chefs, it has always been our constant endeavor to add new flavors, new products and new ingredients on the menu. We haven’t hesitated to use the imported Tomatoes from Spain and the Rack of Lamb from Newzealand to please our customers. But with the pandemic stretching a bit longer and travel being seen a far off sight, Chefs need to get innovative, bold, and even concerned. 

A month that I was forced to be at home; it was a new learning and a new beginning for me. I was very keen and excited to go for my grocery shopping every time as that was the only reason acceptable to step out of the house. The pandemic made me witness a lot of local farmers coming into the vicinity of my area trying to sell their produce. I couldn’t find iceberg lettuce or Asparagus or the humble Bell peppers on the vegetable racks. I had to do with Spinach, local sour tomatoes, or the various varieties of eggplants. Though initially, I craved for that Romaine for my Caesar salad, over time I came to accept and enjoy my salad with the fresh crispy spinach. Every vegetable vendor would welcome me and narrate a story about how he grows his vegetables, the problems he is facing. I was able to connect myself directly to him. I could listen to him. I could see him. I could talk to him. That simple salad now started tasting much better than earlier. It seemed to me as if the vegetables are talking to me. The bowl of fruits didn’t have the Newzealand Kiwi or the Fuji Apple nor the imported Pears and Grapes. It had Baiganpally, the Chite waala Mauz, and the hand-plucked desi Papaya. And believe me..... It tasted like the best fruit bowl I must have had over these years.

I realized that in this time of Pandemic the best way for a cook and Chef to go ahead in his business will be by using locally grown vegetables and fruits. The advantages will be limitless and you will be assured of the utmost satisfaction at the end of the day. Let me enlighten you with a few takeaways here on using locally grown ingredients –

? Firstly and foremost, your FOOD is going to be Fresher – what I mean here is the travel time the ingredient would undergo before it reaches in your kitchen. You will be surprised to know that there are a few ingredients that travel more than 3000+ km before they actually reach you. Imagine the travel abuse, the number of preservatives added to keep it looking fresh.

? When you buy from the local farmer he is going to be adding negligible pesticides while growing as compared to a huge distributor. It’s going to be ORGANIC and healthier. You will build a strong IMPROVED customer base.

? Using locally grown products will help you connect directly to the farmers. You get the middlemen out making the ingredients economical to you and more PROFITABLE to the farmer. Each farmer will have a story behind his product, making your dish a theatrical experience to the customer. Going back, I still remember every single dish I used to be served at the dining hall of my school... That sambar, The yellow rice on Fridays, the mutton curry on Wednesday..... All those dishes had a story to tell.... a sweet memory, which I still crave for.

? Thinking Local will make you change your menu SEASONALLY as the local farmer will grow as per the seasons and not as per your requirement. It will be a good inspiration for you as well as for your customers.

? Think local and become GLOCAL – I am sure our tourists will appreciate the use of local foods rather than giving them what they get in their city or country. Imagine naming your dish as Pan-seared Monda Market Chicken Breast with Medchal farm jus and Rythu Bazaar tossed vegetables. Giving importance to our farmers but still cooking the European way...GLOCAL( global)

? By using locally grown foods, you also contribute to lowering the CARBON FOOTPRINT. This will help you in your marketing strategies as more and more people are now showing a big concern towards the environment.      

While it might look like a fad to a few, using local food is indeed the call of the day. As chefs, it becomes our bound responsibility to encourage the use of local products and help in sustaining the ecosystem. And moreover, during this pandemic, it is the most sensible decision to take. 

CHEF AKSHAY KULKARNI 

?