India’s first
multi-disciplinary arts event,
the Serendipity Arts Festival 2018 has taken Goa by storm and its Culinary Arts
discipline this year, moves away from the idea of food being a means to
sustenance, and discovers the different possibilities of food as
art/performance, innovation and delight.
Curated by Odette Mascarenhas, food historian and critic, author
and television host and Rahul Akerkar, one of Mumbai’s leading restaurant
moguls, they are providing a unique food experience through curated workshops,
with focus on local produce and regional flavours at the festival; recreating a
Goan marketplace and its unique wares, and celebrating the integral role of
spice in Indian cuisine as well as unusual but intriguing pairings in food and
drink.
Curated by Rahul Akerkar, Spice Lab, will be a multi-sensory
experience, exploring the way spices are combined for use in cooking; whether
through dry rubs, wet grinds, oil tempering, infusions, or other ways, while
also allowing visitors to share their own taste/smell memories through an
interactive spice lab “tree”. Visitors will also be able to interact with the
spaces through lecture and demonstrations
Curated by Odette Mascarenhas, visitors can also enjoy the Tinto
(originally part of the ancient gaunkari system) experience at the Children’s
(Art) Park, with stalls serving organic and Saraswat thalis, freshly-made fish
dishes, pickles, meat dishes and desserts through an artistic representation of
color, vibrancy and flavors communicating a tableau of a true Goan story.
Below are some
workshop highlights that have taken place and will be happening all across the
festival, which are free to attend.
A Spoonful of
Sweetness
A journey through
India’s unique varieties of honey: Honey, one of the world’s most magical
foods, is made of nectar concentrated down to a sweet stickiness by thousands
of bees working together in the hive and can be consumed in multiple ways.
Through this workshop, participants learned about India’s unique honey varieties
and how their taste, colour and smell is dependent on which flower bees collect
the nectar from and the soil and location where the plants grow. They engaged
in a unique olfactory and gustatory experience and learn methods for tasting
and evaluating honey, while recognising basic aromas and flavor families on a
Honey Tasting Wheel. The workshop was held on December 15 and 16
Coffee and Pepper
Workshop
An interactive,
tutored workshop, in understanding the relationship in the expression of coffee
by comparing the outcomes of three different roasts and two different brewing
techniques of the same coffee. The participants experimented in roasting a
single origin coffee bean in three different ways and then looking at creating
different blends of these roasts to achieve different expressions and flavours
of the coffee. The workshop was held on December 15 and 16.
The Art of Craft
Beer
Participants learned
the art of Craft Beer at this comprehensive beer workshop that taught the
basics of Craft Beer from ingredients to the brewing process, to pouring the
perfect pint and learning the art of sampling, food pairing and more. The
workshop was hosted by beer evangelists, John Eapen and Apoorv Ranade. This
workshop was held from December 15 to December 17.
#Foodstagram
Food, glorious food!
Is food a source of pleasure or anxiety? What did you have for dinner last
night or for breakfast this morning? How did you decide what to eat and how to
prepare it? Do you long for the food of your childhood? Does your religion and
spiritual life guide your food choices? How would you describe the flavours of
last night’s meal to your best friend? These are the sorts of questions that
trigger the most memorable writing on the subject of cuisine and gastronomy.
This workshop examined the ways writers, photographers, critiques and food
media practitioners depict food, cooking, and eating. The workshop tried to
look at the many forms of “food writing” and talk about those we find most
satisfying. This workshop began on December 17 and will conclude on December
18.
Chais of India
Each region in India
has its own recipes for Chai based on geographical location and cultural
preparations. For example, fresh mint leaves are often added to chai in west
India at a particular time so that the leaves don’t turn bitter when boiled
with milk. In South India, black pepper is in abundance and finds it way into a
cup of tea. Gur Gur (Butter Tea) from the Himalayan regions of India, Nepal and
Bhutan, is salty rather than sweet, with butter traditionally made from yak
milk. Apart from this, there are several cultural preparations of tea,
including Irani Chai, Sulemani Chai, Kahwa, and Noon Chai, among others.
Participants at this workshop learned about the brief history about the various
chais of India, which followed by a chai tasting. This workshop began on
December 17 and will conclude on December 18.
The Assamese
Pickling Affair
This workshop brings
the local flavours of the North East to the coastal region of Goa. The pickles
of Assam, which are made of fresh herbs, spices, and meat, are a treat to the
tastebuds. Conducted by Monalisa Baruah, the workshop demonstrates how to make
this condiment, while keeping its authenticity intact. This workshop will be
held on December 19 and December 21.
Sugarcane and Art
A popular story in
Goa narrates the tale of elephants rampaging sugarcane fields across the
borders, causing damage to the crops. Inspired by this wild ethos, Mansi
Trivedi has chosen sugarcane as the central focus, this time using it as a
canvas for art. The workshop will be held on December 19 and 20.
Varietals India
A look at Indian wine
through its diverse grape varieties. This workshop will be held on December 20
and 21.
Grandmother’s
Recipe: Feni as Medicine
The workshop dwells
into the traditions of the past, at a time when home remedies were tantamount
to survival. Derived from the Sanskrit word phena, meaning froth, Feni was
brought to Goa by the Portuguese, and the distilled liquour obtained either
from cashew fruit or coconut also fulfills the medical requirement of combating
common ailments. Through a street theatre performance, the characters of a
traditionally rooted grandmother and her skeptical, progressive grandson
elucidate the beneficial nature of Feni, narrating the role it plays in the
lives of Goans. This workshop will be held on December 21 and 22.
Traditions &
Celebrations
Through
melodies, stories, and rangoli derived from food powders, Joanna D’Cunha and
Sangeeta Pai Dhungat will introduce the audience to the traditions and
different kinds of celebrations in Goa. This workshop will be held on December
21 and 22.
