Over the
years, there has been a household name that is associated as an authority on
cuisine in Goa, by most, across the state. She is, if I may, the Grand Dame of
the culinary space. Odette Mascarenhas has, in many ways, made herself a force
to be reckoned with, in the sphere. And this time around, along with celebrated
chef Manu Chandra, she will be co-curating the culinary art segment at the much
awaited Serendipity Arts Festival.
But the
question being asked by many may still be, ‘What is the Serendipity Arts
Festival?’ The event will unfold along the banks of River Mandovi from November
16-23, 2016, and for those eight days there will be an immersive art-related
experience across eight venues in Panjim as a total of 14 curators will
facilitate dialogues on a total of 40 commissioned projects. However, it is on
the gastronomic that we must now focus – an area that the festival has only
been too happy to factor into its programming.
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Serendipity
will be immensely useful with the showcasing of Goan cuisine, Odette, who will
be looking into the Goan aspect of the culinary art space, believes. “There can
be no denying that there was a need to bring about an event that possessed a
certain profile… that focused on Goan culinary heritage. It had to be more
than just another festival. And Serendipity has that gravitas,” she says.
Speaking on
the culinary aspects of the festival, Odette goes on to add, “The need of the
hour was to find a way by which one could celebrate culture through food by
elevating it to art status. And why should it not have that status? When food
is worked on, live, all senses are involved. Through Serendipity, there will be
displays wherein this is highlighted, in particular.”
For
instance, the culinary arts will be celebrated at Jardim Garcia d’Orta in Panjim, famous for The Original
Bandstand, through a programme titled Exploration of Goan Cuisines. Curated by
Odette, the event will be a journey that is an exploration of the history and
diversity of Goan flavours. “There will be two sides to the event. One will
focus of Saraswat cuisine
and more Hindu-centric flavours. This will be anchored by the work of
restaurants like Voltaire and Kokni Kanteen. In similar vein, there will be a
more Indo-Portuguese focus, which will be anchored by Bay 15 and Goa’s very own
Chef Vasco ‘Vasquito’ Alvares,” Odette shares.
There will
be other focal points that are food-related beyond the showcasing of the local,
at Serendipity. For instance, massive market stakeholders, such as Manu
Chandra’s Monkey Bar and Fatty Bao will be in attendance at the event. Another
event, that will focus on food trucks (which are rumoured to be primarily from
Bangalore), will be in focus in Campal, during the festival.
It is the
off-beat, however, that Serendipity has truly hit home with. For instance, one
intriguing programme involves an exploration of Goa’s culinary heritage, via a
medium as simple as Goa’s staple: rice. “We thought that it would be critical
and at the same time interestingly off-beat to showcase the importance of rice
to Goa’s culinary profile. It goes well beyond the obvious. As such, we will be
holding live events that highlight the making of sannas and modak,
and the importance of rice in these processes,” Odette adds.
Serendipity
ultimately aims to be an immersive space that seeks to create discursive
opportunities, promote the exchanging of ideas, and inspire the youth of India
to access and engage with arts on a greater level. Food is one such art form,
there is no doubt of that. And if its history is to be maintained then it is
but natural that one must seize occasions such as these festivals while there
is still some culture left to engage with.
