Features: Magazine | Literary Review | Life | Metro Plus | Open Page | Education Plus | Book Review | Business | SciTech | NXg | Friday Review | Cinema Plus | Young World | Property Plus | Quest |

Riot of flavours

Exotic A dish on offer at the food festival

If you are gastronomically oriented in life and wish to tickle your taste buds with some authentic pan-Pacific flavours, it is time to try out Ecuadorian cuisine and add that dash of adventure to your gourmet experience. The Ecuadorian gastronomy wee k at the ITC Maurya in New Delhi is one such experience. In an attempt to bring the cuisine in its most authentic form, the hotel has flown in specialist chef Gonzalo Davila from Ecuador.

Since Ecuador lies along the western edge of South America, the region is rich in seafood and exotic fruits and vegetables. The cuisine is known for its subtle flavours and uncomplicated method of preparation. Herbs like lemon grass, parsley, basil and Ecuadorian cinnamon are used in abundance. The food is mostly boiled and a single whiff reveals the bouquet of flavours it encapsulates. As chef Davila says, “The aroma of the cuisine is enough to make you fall in love with it.”

The master chef almost poetically describes the cuisine, and at his live demonstration, the overwhelming tang of citric fruits with a hint of sweetness from sweet corn and sugar is a tangible manifestation of his poetical description.

The festival features an irresistible spread of Ecuadorian concoctions like cauca (fresh corn soup), spice shrimps (salad), arroz con pollo (rice with chicken), fish cebiche, picante de camarones and papas a la quitena. Desserts like sweet bananas, cheese panada, tree milk tarts and guayaba pie are literally a haven for those driven by their sweet tooth.

According to the Ecuadorian tradition, the meal always begins with a soup and is followed by a dry and usually crispy dish made of chicken, beef, pork or seafood. The unique quality of Ecuadorian food is the combination of salt and sugar to create a riot of flavours in your mouth. “Close your eyes and feel the intermingling of flavours teasing your taste buds. Now this is what you call a real treat for your senses,” says an articulate chef Davila.

A simple assortment of onions, tomatoes and coriander leaves cooked with the meat of your choice in citric acid is the secret to the tangy cuisine. The dishes are usually served with either beer or rum which is also used extensively in the cooking. Corn and bananas are significant to the Ecuadorian diet, and served in a variety of creative ways. Aji, a local pepper sauce, is normally sprinkled on each meal to add that extra edge.

Though the cuisine is primarily meat based, the vegetarians will not go hungry. They can savour the variety of potatoes and mushrooms served with banana bread. Finally, the gourmets would love to know that the festival also has one of the delicacies of the cuisine — roasted cuy (guinea pig). The festival ends this Saturday (November 7).

AMRAH ASHRAF

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail