Kasargod women win hearts of foodies in France
Ambika and Rathi were invited to a UNESCO-sponsored folklore event
Kozhikode: Ambika and Rathi, the members of Kudumbashree at Edaneer in Kasargod, have won the hearts of the foodies in France through the mouth-watering Kerala cuisine they prepared. The chefs were invited to the UNESCO-sponsored International Folklore Festival of Gannat, France, in early July.
Recently, they were the main chefs at a folklore programme held at Kanhangad. The duo's dishes had tickled the taste buds of the guests there who recommended them to the organizers of Gannat festival.
“We were overjoyed to be there in France for 10 days and pleased to hear the good words for our dishes,” said a beaming Ambika. The folklore artistes from 32 countries participated in the festival.
While extending the invite, the sole demand put forward by the organizers was that they should make authentic Kerala cuisine. “Our Basmati rice and sambar, thoran, salad and local chicken curry were a hit with the crowd,” said Rathi.
They kept their best for the last. “We made payasam on the last day. The guests emptied the vessel before it could cool down,” she said. The culinary culture of France is very different. “They dislike spicy food. They like their meat grilled,” Rathi said.
They use butter, eat raw vegetables, a variety of leaves, bread, fruits and different kinds of wine, she added. Once in the festival, they wore the traditional Kerala saree and it was greeted with applause. The two women are the members of ‘Sreelakshmi’ Kudumbashree unit in Edaneer.