Chef Vivek Saggar, a senior functionary of Indian Culinary Forum, served as jurist at Battle of the Chefs 2013 in Malaysia. He tells Karan Bhardwaj that India will take another couple of years to host such prestigious contests
With so many culinary activities happening around, India is certainly booming in the hospitality sector. “Unlike a decade ago, when we just had limited cookery shows, today, there are food-based shows, channels and several celebrated culinary federations and forums fostering the platter. However, we are still in nascent stage and would require time to match the reputation of other international culinary dos,” said veteran chef Vivek Saggar from Indian Culinary Forum.
He shared experiences as a jurist at Battle of the Chefs 2013 held in Malaysia. “We would take at least two more years to organise something on this scale. I was astonished to see their level of preparation. Everything was so well-organised and immaculately planned. In India, we need to learn from other developing nations that are hosting such prestigious culinary events,” he told us.
He said that India’s representation at international competitions is increasing by leaps and bounds, owing to the sudden attention given to the culinary field. “People are taking it seriously. Not just on TV. The hospitality sector is enjoying great respect and attention in urban centres. India’s participation at Bocuse d’or (a biennial world chef championship) is increasing with each edition. Though we haven’t been able to win anything, we are taking part aggressively,” he said.
The chef, who started Food Art in 1988 to provide professional and technical support to hotels, clubs, restaurants, resorts etc, was among the eminent panel of international judges evaluating the ‘Continental level food Competition’ in Malaysia. The four-day event held during June 12-15 in Penang had more than 1,000 chefs taking part in over 60 categories.
“The food combat was based on various themes. Participants were judged on parameters of cultural dishes and native ingredients. They were given ingredients a month in advance. There were other interesting contests too. In the Waiter's Race, the participants had to cover 1 km with liquids of 3.5 kgs. They were not allowed to change hands. If it spilt, you were out. I thoroughly enjoyed the Bed Making category. It was organised for housekeeping staff. They were given components of a perfect bed, that had to be used to churn out a neat bed in a time frame,” he said.
Saggar had his share of Malaysian flavours. “I went to a Durian Fruit Festival. This fruit is only available during June in Malaysia. The most interesting fruit I found was Purple Mangosteen. It’s like an orange. But we can see how many segments it has from outside,” he shared. Battle of the Chefs 2013 was won by the Thailand Culinary Academy.