ET BureauBENGALURU: Exotic local spices & curry pastes from farmer's markets are a must.
One section of her refrigerator flaunts jamon serrano dry-cured ham, cheese and fondue from Europe. Another shelf stocks oyster mushrooms from the Far East, tahini sauce for hummus from Dubai, honey and blueberries from USA.
Mind you, this is not a scene from celebrity chef Nigella Lawson's kitchen. This is footwear entrepreneur Aneesha Goenka's kitchen at her Indiranagar, Bengaluru, home.Shopping for exotic food products is a compulsion in her travel itineraries. “Our family appreciates food shopping more than clothes. I take help from a local or the hotel concierge on food brands to shop,“ says Goenka.
Souvenirs like fridge magnets and country flag t-shirts are clearly passé.
Food is a big-time fashion for Bengaluru's travel junkies.Exotic local spices and curry pastes from farmer's markets and hyper-stores have become the `it' accessories. Evidently, much has evolved from duty-free chocolates and alcohol.
Neeta Bulchandani, managing director of leather accessory brand Bulchee, says, “We always visit farmer's markets to shop for fruits and vegetables. My sisterin-law, who visits annually from Spain, has been instructed to get only ham and not clothes.“ The avid traveller went shopping for red and green curry pastes from Thailand and chilli-beef flavoured noodles from China recently . When in Italy next month, she plans to go pasta and cheese shopping.
Retired naval officer Shyam Rao is researching the internet on gourmet shopping in Russia, his next vacation spot. “A visit to a supermarket gets the cook in me excited,“ says Rao, who likes to shop for barbeque rubs and salad dressings.
The kitchens of these well-travelled Bengalureans have gone beyond roti-dal-chawal. They are using these ingredients to whip up a global storm in the comfort of their homes. “It's nirvana to recreate the original recipe indulged during a holiday . Serving authentic dishes also gives our house parties an edge. It dictates what we can do as a family ,“ notes food expert Aslam Gafoor.
Swaha Sircar, a PR professional, agrees, “It's trendy to tell your guests that the food served is made with ingredients from the region of source.“ This prompted her to go shopping for dried black mushrooms, noodles called Phing, Titora candies and Kalimpong lollipops during her visit to Darjeeling in November.
Travel experts note that with the rising popularity of food and beverage trails, gourmet shopping has simultaneously gained prominence. Seema Jaising notes, “Visits to weekend farmer's markets in Europe and local grocery stores in Thailand, Japan and Spain are now being added to our packages.“
Social media attention also plays factor. Vikram Ahuja says, “Travellers want to flaunt their culinary journeys. There is a social media push to break away from everyday homely meals to food that is unique and grabs eyeballs.“
One section of her refrigerator flaunts jamon serrano dry-cured ham, cheese and fondue from Europe. Another shelf stocks oyster mushrooms from the Far East, tahini sauce for hummus from Dubai, honey and blueberries from USA.
Mind you, this is not a scene from celebrity chef Nigella Lawson's kitchen. This is footwear entrepreneur Aneesha Goenka's kitchen at her Indiranagar, Bengaluru, home.Shopping for exotic food products is a compulsion in her travel itineraries. “Our family appreciates food shopping more than clothes. I take help from a local or the hotel concierge on food brands to shop,“ says Goenka.
Souvenirs like fridge magnets and country flag t-shirts are clearly passé.
Food is a big-time fashion for Bengaluru's travel junkies.Exotic local spices and curry pastes from farmer's markets and hyper-stores have become the `it' accessories. Evidently, much has evolved from duty-free chocolates and alcohol.
Neeta Bulchandani, managing director of leather accessory brand Bulchee, says, “We always visit farmer's markets to shop for fruits and vegetables. My sisterin-law, who visits annually from Spain, has been instructed to get only ham and not clothes.“ The avid traveller went shopping for red and green curry pastes from Thailand and chilli-beef flavoured noodles from China recently . When in Italy next month, she plans to go pasta and cheese shopping.
Retired naval officer Shyam Rao is researching the internet on gourmet shopping in Russia, his next vacation spot. “A visit to a supermarket gets the cook in me excited,“ says Rao, who likes to shop for barbeque rubs and salad dressings.
The kitchens of these well-travelled Bengalureans have gone beyond roti-dal-chawal. They are using these ingredients to whip up a global storm in the comfort of their homes. “It's nirvana to recreate the original recipe indulged during a holiday . Serving authentic dishes also gives our house parties an edge. It dictates what we can do as a family ,“ notes food expert Aslam Gafoor.
Swaha Sircar, a PR professional, agrees, “It's trendy to tell your guests that the food served is made with ingredients from the region of source.“ This prompted her to go shopping for dried black mushrooms, noodles called Phing, Titora candies and Kalimpong lollipops during her visit to Darjeeling in November.
Travel experts note that with the rising popularity of food and beverage trails, gourmet shopping has simultaneously gained prominence. Seema Jaising notes, “Visits to weekend farmer's markets in Europe and local grocery stores in Thailand, Japan and Spain are now being added to our packages.“
Social media attention also plays factor. Vikram Ahuja says, “Travellers want to flaunt their culinary journeys. There is a social media push to break away from everyday homely meals to food that is unique and grabs eyeballs.“
Download The Economic Times News App to get Daily Market Updates & Live Business News.
...moreDownload The Economic Times News App to get Daily Market Updates & Live Business News.
...more
Get Unlimited Access to The Economic Times
