Jan 30 2016
Reshmi Dasgupta
Source: The Economic Times (Bangalore)
Silk Stalkings - INTANGIBLE HERITAGE
The inclusion of Chef Qureshi, ITC hotel's Grand Master Chef, in the 2016 list of Padma Shri awardees is a welcome but belated recognition that culinary art is on par with other fine and performing arts. Finally our culinary artistes are given a big hand! When conferring the prestigious l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (the French equivalent of a Padma Shri) on six young chefs in 2012, France's then culture minister Frederic Mitterrand had said, “The inclusion in 2010 of the French gastronomic meal in UNESCO's list of Intangible Heritage illustrates the importance of the culinary heritage of our culture and its international influence.“ That same year, Silk Stalkings noted India's lacuna in recognising the national contribution of our great chefs including Imtiaz Qureshi given that the legendary Julia Child had just been conferred the US Presidential Medal of Freedom (the highest civilian honour for achievements in culture, politics, science, sports and business), to add to her Légion d'Honneur and the l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from France.
Since our own Padma awards are modelled on Britain's multitiered ones, I also mentioned that a clutch of British chefs have been conferred their nation's highest honours. Indeed, not only have Jamie Oliver, the Roux brothers, Gordon Ramsay and others got MBEs and OBEs, several have even been given CBEs the equivalent of Padma Vibhushan such as Delia Smith and Loyd Grossman.
The inclusion of Chef Qureshi the venerable “face“ of dum pukht cuisine and ITC hotel's Grand Master Che in the 2016 list of Padma Shri awardees is therefore historic. For it means that India has finally officially recognised that what our great chefs have mastered is not mere cooking or catering but culinary art, on par with the talented exponents of other fine and performing arts In terms of sheer wealth of culinary heritage, India does not lag behind any nation in the world. Indeed, the sheer antiquity of our multifarious cuisines and their remarkably insightful principles and philosophies should be the subject of continuous deep academic research. But that can only happen if there only happen if there is awareness of and consequent respect for cuisine as an aspect of culture in India.
For the longest time, the promotion and development of Indian cuisine had been left to hospitality groups. It is fortuitous that ITC Hotels, for instance, and the visionary Habib Rehman, soldiered on with rediscovering, researching and showcasing regional cuisines at a time when Indian food was seen as little more than amorphous orange-coloured curries and skewered tandoori meats.
Honouring the octogenarian Chef Qureshi whose engagement with food started at the age of 7 when he was apprenticed in a kitchen as the first culinary recipient of a Padma award is also significant in another way. As an alumnus of the experiential school of cooking, rather than a formal institute, he epitomises the life story of countless other great Indian exponents of culinary arts. The most prized possession of western (and Japanese) chefs are their collections of knives. They are also the proud accumulators of all sorts of gadgets and gizmos for their sauces and cooking techniques. Years ago,
when I asked Chef Qureshi what he regarded as his most precious implement, he held up his right hand. “Sab kuch toh isi sey kartey hain,“ he'd said with a smile.
This instinctive cooking from the proportion of masalas and consistency of mixes to the shape and texture of ingredients is the common hallmark of our varied Indian cuisines. And up till very recently the greatest exponents had to learn it the age-old way, as apprentices from a tender age.Consequently many lacked the wherewithal to document or communicate their knowledge.
That is possibly why cuisine had so far been ignored as aspect of culture and an effective tool of soft power, that has both national and commercial benefits. Now that the President himself will soon pin that precious medal on a senior exponent of this ancient art, hopefully the culture ministry and other nodal bodies will also join hospitality groups in giving Indian cuisines pride of place.
Countless people around India and the world have experienced the magic of Chef Qureshi's
inimitable right hand for decades. There are many more of his vintage and younger including an enormously talented new generation of innovative and articulate Indian chefs who also deserve national recognition and hopefully more Padma awards will come their way in the future.
Having them showcase their talent at Rashtrapati Bhavan and at the official banquets given by the Prime Minister and other dignitaries here and abroad would also be a natural corollary to this most welcome first step. It would be an eloquent affirmation cuisine as an integral part of India's intangible heritage (as much as France's!) and as a powerful magnet for tourism and even national integration.
Reshmi Dasgupta
Source: The Economic Times (Bangalore)
Silk Stalkings - INTANGIBLE HERITAGE
The inclusion of Chef Qureshi, ITC hotel's Grand Master Chef, in the 2016 list of Padma Shri awardees is a welcome but belated recognition that culinary art is on par with other fine and performing arts. Finally our culinary artistes are given a big hand! When conferring the prestigious l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (the French equivalent of a Padma Shri) on six young chefs in 2012, France's then culture minister Frederic Mitterrand had said, “The inclusion in 2010 of the French gastronomic meal in UNESCO's list of Intangible Heritage illustrates the importance of the culinary heritage of our culture and its international influence.“ That same year, Silk Stalkings noted India's lacuna in recognising the national contribution of our great chefs including Imtiaz Qureshi given that the legendary Julia Child had just been conferred the US Presidential Medal of Freedom (the highest civilian honour for achievements in culture, politics, science, sports and business), to add to her Légion d'Honneur and the l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from France.Since our own Padma awards are modelled on Britain's multitiered ones, I also mentioned that a clutch of British chefs have been conferred their nation's highest honours. Indeed, not only have Jamie Oliver, the Roux brothers, Gordon Ramsay and others got MBEs and OBEs, several have even been given CBEs the equivalent of Padma Vibhushan such as Delia Smith and Loyd Grossman.
The inclusion of Chef Qureshi the venerable “face“ of dum pukht cuisine and ITC hotel's Grand Master Che in the 2016 list of Padma Shri awardees is therefore historic. For it means that India has finally officially recognised that what our great chefs have mastered is not mere cooking or catering but culinary art, on par with the talented exponents of other fine and performing arts In terms of sheer wealth of culinary heritage, India does not lag behind any nation in the world. Indeed, the sheer antiquity of our multifarious cuisines and their remarkably insightful principles and philosophies should be the subject of continuous deep academic research. But that can only happen if there only happen if there is awareness of and consequent respect for cuisine as an aspect of culture in India.
For the longest time, the promotion and development of Indian cuisine had been left to hospitality groups. It is fortuitous that ITC Hotels, for instance, and the visionary Habib Rehman, soldiered on with rediscovering, researching and showcasing regional cuisines at a time when Indian food was seen as little more than amorphous orange-coloured curries and skewered tandoori meats.
Honouring the octogenarian Chef Qureshi whose engagement with food started at the age of 7 when he was apprenticed in a kitchen as the first culinary recipient of a Padma award is also significant in another way. As an alumnus of the experiential school of cooking, rather than a formal institute, he epitomises the life story of countless other great Indian exponents of culinary arts. The most prized possession of western (and Japanese) chefs are their collections of knives. They are also the proud accumulators of all sorts of gadgets and gizmos for their sauces and cooking techniques. Years ago,
when I asked Chef Qureshi what he regarded as his most precious implement, he held up his right hand. “Sab kuch toh isi sey kartey hain,“ he'd said with a smile.
This instinctive cooking from the proportion of masalas and consistency of mixes to the shape and texture of ingredients is the common hallmark of our varied Indian cuisines. And up till very recently the greatest exponents had to learn it the age-old way, as apprentices from a tender age.Consequently many lacked the wherewithal to document or communicate their knowledge.
That is possibly why cuisine had so far been ignored as aspect of culture and an effective tool of soft power, that has both national and commercial benefits. Now that the President himself will soon pin that precious medal on a senior exponent of this ancient art, hopefully the culture ministry and other nodal bodies will also join hospitality groups in giving Indian cuisines pride of place.
Countless people around India and the world have experienced the magic of Chef Qureshi's
inimitable right hand for decades. There are many more of his vintage and younger including an enormously talented new generation of innovative and articulate Indian chefs who also deserve national recognition and hopefully more Padma awards will come their way in the future.
Having them showcase their talent at Rashtrapati Bhavan and at the official banquets given by the Prime Minister and other dignitaries here and abroad would also be a natural corollary to this most welcome first step. It would be an eloquent affirmation cuisine as an integral part of India's intangible heritage (as much as France's!) and as a powerful magnet for tourism and even national integration.
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