Hill food fest in January ...display 250 traditional cuisines of the hills at Triveni

BIRESWAR BANERJEE, TT, 28 Dec 2018, Siliguri: Come January, and an array of ethic gastronomic delights will be ready for foodies at Triveni, the confluence of the Teesta and Rangeet rivers.

Members of All India Gorkha Chef Association, a forum of chefs working in hotels and restaurants across the hills, announced here on Wednesday that they will host a food fest at Triveni on January 14 and 15.

At the fest, they would prepare and display as many as 250 traditional cuisines of the hills.

"There are more than 250 traditional food items prepared by different communities in the hills. But at the restaurants, one can taste only a few of these items. Even in other parts of our country, there are only some dishes which are known as cuisines from the hills. Our objective is to exhibit all such traditional foods so that people come to know about new and unusual dishes which are made in the hills. Also, we want food lovers to know the interesting recipes of these dishes," said Shamsan Tamang, chairman of the association.

The organisers said ethnic foods like "Sekwa" (prepared by using dry meat), "Dhedo" (made of millet) "Seuki" (made by using preserved herbs) "Kodo Roti" (chapatti made of millet) "Sel Roti" (made of flour rice) will be available for foodies at the fest.

According to Tamang, over 10,000 people from the hills work as chefs in different hotels and restaurants, both in hills and other parts of the country and even abroad.

"We have invited those who work elsewhere to come and attend the fest and prepare traditional cuisine. They can also learn about more ethnic food items at the fest and can promote these dishes at their workplaces," added Tamang.

The organisers said GTA chairman Binay Tamang will inaugurate the event..