Promoting traditional, healthy Assamese cuisine

A crave for global cuisine by transcending borders notwithstanding, a group of culinary experts in Assam is all set to promote local, seasonal, traditional and healthy eating.
North East Food Forum (NEFF), which began as a Facebook page, was formally launched recently with the primary aim to promote healthy eating and preserving traditional food, says the forum's founder Kashmiri Barkakati Nath.
"Food and culinary traditions may have crossed many a boundaries to create varied genres of global cuisine but it is eating local and traditional that matter in the long run," Nath told PTI.
Northeast is a treasure trove of organic products and the forum is committed to promote and popularise the organic cuisines of the region and connect people through food.

"Our eating choices impact our environment, our climate, our industry, our health as well as the medications we may be required to take. Thus, we advocate eating local and seasonal food," Nath adds.
The forum has initiated a project whereby awareness programmes would be held for schoolchildren, youths in colleges and other educational institutions to promote healthy eating and develop new recipes with the use of local organic produce.

"At a time when fast-food companies, restaurants and eateries from different parts of the world fill our lives, it is most natural that many of us have forgotten the traditional tastes. We are striving to bring back the magic of good food that has stood the test of time and pass on this legacy to the next generation," Nath says.

Coinciding with its launch, the forum along with Vivanta by Taj organised a workshop for underprivileged children to inculcate healthy eating and cooking habits among them.
The children plucked vegetables and other produce from the Vivanta's organic garden and prepared several exotic food items under the guidance of chefs from the hotel.
"The idea behind this workshop was to promote the use of healthy organic products and also motivate and create an interest in children towards taking up cooking as a profession when they grow up," Vivanta's public relations head Indranee Phukan says.
Besides promoting healthy eating, the forum's field of activities include organising food workshops, culinary tours for in-bound tourists to the region, working for under- privileged children, skill development related to food and hospitality industry among others.