Voyage of Flavour and Friendship in ‘God’s Own Country’

KOCHI:
Harking back to journeys of yore, travellers from 15 countries along the historic Spice Route will call into port here on a voyage that seeks to rekindle a shared legacy of culinary distinction, commerce, connectivity and cultural exchange.
The Spice Route Culinary Festival – a first-of-its-kind celebration of the fiery flavours found along the over 2,000-year-old maritime tradeway – will commence on Friday. Organised by Kerala Tourism in association with
UNESCO and the Union Tourism Ministry, the festival will run till Monday, September 26, at Bolgatty Palace and Island resort.
Prominent chefs from Egypt, Iran, Lebanon, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Thailand, Oman, Turkey, Qatar, Netherlands, France, Malaysia, Italy and Japan will sample the cultural and culinary offerings of ‘God’s Own Country’, take in a demonstration on traditional Kerala cooking and participate in an interactive discussion session on the first day.
On the second day, they will visit and procure local ingredients from markets before tabling the choicest cuisines from their homelands for the festival’s centerpiece international cooking competition on Sunday.
The list of luminaries also features diplomats, embassy representatives and eminent delegates from these countries besides officials from UNESCO. Ambassador of the Netherlands H.E. Alphonsus Stoelinga will attend as will  Shigeru Aoyagi, Director and UNESCO Representative to Bhutan, India, Sri Lanka and Maldives, along with a number of Consul Generals and other high-ranking officials.
“We are very proud to host this unique initiative that will honour the enduring bonds created by the ancient Spice Route and highlight Kerala’s legacy as a hotspot for tourism and trade,” said A.C. Moideen, Minister of Tourism, Government of Kerala, who will brief the media following the festival’s opening and deliver the valedictory address at its closing.
The gastronomic extravaganza will also showcase the best culinary fare and talent from across the state as identified through a just-concluded regional competition organised by Kerala Tourism for local chefs. Since getting underway on Monday, the ‘Kerala Chef’ competition qualifiers saw crowds throng venues in Kozhikode, Kalamassery and Thiruvananthapuram.
That the competition would be fierce was a given since standout participants – as selected by a judging panel of culinary professionals – get the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to compete in separate finals for professional chefs and amateur enthusiasts on the festival’s last day.
“Kerala’s history as a Spice Route hub is reflected in its present-day cosmopolitanism and participatory ethic. Much more than a platform for the state, the festival is a significant step in promoting people to people links, cultural tourism, intercultural dialogue, and heritage preservation,” said Principal Secretary (Tourism) Dr Venu V.
Of the benefits to reviving ties along the ancient linkage, Kerala Tourism Director
U.V. Jose said, “The exchange of spices and other goods have only ever helped Kerala and its trade partners flourish and develop ties that have survived many centuries and brought together different people and ideas from across the world. This initiative will trigger more of the same.”