Culinary art in India is a prominent part of our history and
culture. For all those interested in pursuing it as a career, then it’s
undoubtedly an exciting career around the world. Culinary is defined as “of or
relating to a kitchen or to cookery” while art is described as "human
effort to imitate, supplement, alter, or counteract the work of nature." When
these words come together as culinary arts, it refers to creating something
unique and beautiful and something that is entirely edible.
It is called culinary arts chefs create delicious and
inventive masterpieces. The culinary arts have been continuously growing in
popularity and as a result, more and more people who love cooking are pursuing
this career path. Under the culinary arts one gets the chance to learn about
contemporary and classic culinary techniques, cooking methods and food recipes.
Indian celebrity Chef Michael Swamy is an ideal to many
Indian students who wish to pursue culinary arts as a career. Having been
exposed to the numerous arts including cooking, photography and writing from a
very young age, he goes beyond being just a chef. A graduate
of the prestigious Cordon Bleu Culinary School, London, he has done his
specialization in Bakery and Patisserie. He has trained under and worked with
several Michelin Chefs in the UK who observed his work closely and encouraged
him to enter the world of Food Media. His mother having been a successful
documentary film-maker, he has also closely studied and handled various aspects
of film-making. His online recipe books are a great source to learn his style
of cooking, especially for home makers and budding chefs.
As a food writer, he is the author of “The East Indian
Kitchen” which won the Gourmand Award 2011-12 in the Best Indian Cookbook
(Technical) category. He has also authored the “Easy Guide to Pairing Indian
Food and Wine” published by Om Books. His latest book “Comfort Food”
co-authored with Mugdha Savkar and paired with Cafe Delhi Heights is a success.
Indian chefs, today, are experimenting at various foreign
cuisines like Mexican, Mediterranean and Japanese etc. Indian cuisine in itself
is diverse. From Kashmir to Kanyakumari, the taste differs. Even the colonial
influence has left its mark on the Indian cuisine. Then there is Mughal style
of cooking. A good curriculum and experienced chef-instructors are must for
those who wish to become a good chef. Remember culinary arts can’t be learned
just by joining a particular course. It needs continuous grooming and mentoring
to fine tune skills.
Learning culinary arts from an institute give exposure to a
variety of cuisines, bakery and service etiquettes. A culinary arts degree
involves a combination of theoretical classroom instructions and hands-on experience
in the laboratory. Veteran chefs are also invited to culinary institutes where
they share their culinary expertise to the students. Today, chefs in India are blending
international cuisines with India and experimenting with new innovative flavors.
Undoubtedly, the art of culinary in India is an exciting industry full of ample
opportunities.
