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BIRYANI lovers have a new variety of rice to choose from - Tilda Grand, which has extra long grains with a distinct shape which lends itself to speciality dishes like biryani or pilau.   With their sweet taste and delicate texture, the grains are able to endure different cooking techniques such as soaking, mixing and steaming while retaining their shape.   Vijay Vaidyanathan, chief marketing officer at Tilda, said: “Rice is a key ingredient within the Asian die]]>
A HOT cup of Ceylon tea is better known as being soothing and relaxing, but Sri Lanka is now marketing its most profitable export as a luxury boost for the libido.   The tea industry is increasingly plugging Ceylon’s supposed aphrodisiac qualities in a bid to radically change perceptions of the brew, which manufacturers say can sell for less than water in some markets.   “We are highlighting the properties of tea that can give you an edge in the bedroom,&]]>
THREE brothers in Spain’s northeastern Catalonia region who snatched the title for the world’s best restaurant, the Celler de Can Roca, humbly trace their inspiration to their mum’s cooking.   The Roca brothers, Joan, Jordi, and Josep, had already wowed critics and diners worldwide with a cutting edge technique and cooking rooted in Spanish and Catalan traditions, earning them three Michelin stars.   But four years after fellow Catalan restaurant El]]>
A MEDITERRANEAN-STYLE diet packed with fish, chicken and olive oil and low on fatty dairy products and meat may lower the risk of memory problems later in life, a large US study said on Monday (May 6).   But the beneficial effects of eating a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids do not extend to people with diabetes, according to the research published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.   The findings, described as the largest study o]]>
  WAKRO, a tiny laidback town en route to Hindu pilgrimage site Parashuram Kund in Lohit  district of Arunachal Pradesh, has made an impact on the tea-growers of the country for its organic variety popularized by Basamlu Krisikro.   Known as the ‘Tea Lady’ among her peers, Basamlu is today not only cultivating organic tea in her five-hectare land, but has motivated many local people of the area, including a few&nbs]]>
        JUST PAST midnight behind a Berlin supermarket, two youngsters with torches strapped to their woollen hats sift through rubbish bins for food that is still edible, load their bikes with bread, vegetables and chocolate Santas and cycle off into the darkness. It is not poverty that inspires a growing number of young Germans like 21-year-old student Benjamin Schmitt to forage for food in the garbage, but anger at loss and waste which the UN Food an]]>
WITH German sausages, French duck breasts and homegrown chicken, Francis Menezes is cashing in on the growing appetite for meat among Indians - even in one of Mumbai’s most strictly vegetarian areas.   In the upmarket neighbourhood of Malabar Hill, numerous shops, restaurants and even some apartment blocks remain meat-free.   But Menezes, co-manager of the Cafe Ridge food store, says he does a brisk trade in “non-veg”, especially with those who have]]>
MYANMAR may be best known for its decades of junta rule, but behind the bamboo curtain maverick entrepreneurs have toiled for years to put the nation on the map for the quality of its wine.   Vines cascade down terraces overlooking the vast mirror of Inle Lake in northeastern Myanmar, an unlikely setting for a budding wine industry tempting the tastebuds of tourists now flocking to the country as it opens up.   “Everybody is surprised to see a vineyard here in ]]>
EUROPEAN scientists say they have found further evidence that how you serve food and drink matters hugely in the perception of taste.   Researchers at the Polytechnic University of Valencia and the University of Oxford recruited 57 volunteers and asked them to taste hot chocolate served in plastic cups with four different colours - white, cream, red and orange with white on the inside.   The chocolate was the same in all the samples, but the volunteers found that the]]>
IN THE BAR overlooking the twisting vines in India’s answer to Napa Valley, a group of friends from Mumbai enjoy a weekend getaway - and a chance to brush up on their new wine-drinking hobby.   “I’ve been teetotal all my life, but quite recently I started to drink wine. It’s a growing trend,” said 30-year-old housewife Jol Kapadia, sipping on a glass of Chenin Blanc at Sula Vineyards.   The winery is based in the fertile western district]]>
WHEN thinking of Switzerland many things may come to mind, but caviar-making sturgeon frolicking in hot Alpine springs is perhaps not one of them.   Yet, a tunnel project that unexpectedly uncovered hot springs in the Bernese Alps a decade ago is gradually turning the land of exquisite watches and sumptuous cheese and chocolate into a producer to reckon with of luxury caviar.   “We could produce the first Swiss caviar a year ago,” Andreas Schmid, who head]]>
CONSUMING large quantities of a key ingredient in beer can protect against winter sniffles and even some serious illnesses in small children, a Japanese brewery said citing a scientific study.   A chemical compound in hops, the plant brewers use to give beer its bitter taste, provides an effective guard against a virus that can cause severe forms of pneumonia and bronchitis in youngsters, Sapporo Breweries said on Wednesday (November 5).   In research with scientists]]>
TOKYO retained its tasty title as the Michelin guide’s world gourmet capital on Wednesday (November 28), although the number of three-star restaurants fell slightly.   This is the sixth consecutive year the capital of food-obsessed Japan has been awarded top honours by the publishers of a guide book regarded by many as a fine-dining resource.   Tokyo was also lauded for having the most restaurants bearing three-stars - the Michelin guide’s top honour - ev]]>
RIGHT NOW Clementine Dupraz is busy slicing a chocolate cake, but soon she may be running a luxury hotel, or crunching numbers in a bank. For this Swiss school trains the elite of world hospitality, teaching them to talk both food and money. “Finance has become a more and more important part of the industry,” explained Fabien Fresnel, dean of Lausanne’s Hospitality Management School, an ultra-modern facility set on the hills above the city. “Back in the old day]]>
HISTORY is coming full circle: borrowed from the Aztecs four centuries ago, perfected for the palate by the Europeans, chocolate is conquering new worlds, with sales booming from Asia to Brazil.   Every second, 95 tonnes of chocolate are wolfed down around the world, or three million tonnes a year, according to figures supplied by the annual Salon du Chocolat fair, which kicks off on Wednesday (October 31) in Paris.   The globalisation of chocolate is most striking i]]>
A SINGLE vat bubbles languidly in the corner, while the air in the small, high-ceilinged space under a South London railway arch slowly fills with a zesty, hoppy smell, as the latest batch of Black India Pale Ale gradually fermented.   This is the Kernel microbrewery, one of many new kids on the British beer block who are bucking the downward national trend in beer drinking.   Where once the big, multi-national beer corporations accounted for the lion’s share o]]>
PHILIPPE Labbe, the executive chef at the Shangri-La hotel in Paris, has been named France’s chef of the year by the influential Gault Millau restaurant guide.   Labbe, 51, has been in charge of the food at the hotel’s L’Abeille restaurant since it opened in 2010, having made his reputation as head chef at the Chevre d’Or, at Eze on the French Riviera.   His cooking at the Shangri-La has already been recognised with two Michelin stars and Gaul]]>
IT CAN BE green, black, white or red and, after water, is the most widely consumed drink on the planet.   Tea as we know it was born in China 4,000 years ago and a newly opened exhibition at a Paris museum traces the highlights of its history and how it conquered the world.   The exhibition concentrates on China and, according to its curator Jean-Paul Desroches, reveals “distant treasures” such as paintings from the National Palace Museum in Taipei in Tai]]>
OF ALL THE chocolate research out there, the most unabashed tribute to the “dark gold” has to be a study just published in one of the world’s most prestigious medical journals.   Drum roll, please. The higher a country’s chocolate consumption, the more Nobel laureates it spawns per capita, according to findings released in the New England Journal of Medicine.   The Swiss, of course, lead the pack, closely followed by the Swedes and the Danes. ]]>
FIRST the bad news: There is going to be a lot less champagne to go round this year.   The good news: What there is could be outstanding.   After one of the worst spring growing seasons on record, producers of the world’s most celebrated bubbly are bracing themselves for one of the smallest harvests in the last 20 years.   But thanks to a hot and sunny August, all the signs are that the chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier grapes that go into t]]>
US FAST-FOOD giant McDonald’s, famed for its beef-based Big Mac burgers, on Tuesday (September 4) said it will open its first vegetarian-only restaurant anywhere in the world in India next year.   The world’s second-biggest restaurant chain after Subway tailors its menus to suit local tastes, which in India means no beef to avoid offending Hindus and no pork to cater for Muslim requirements.   The first vegetarian outlet will open its doors mid-next year ]]>
KRISPY Kreme Doughnuts Inc plans to open its first Indian store this year, but the maker of the Original Glazed will find it is not alone in its bid to cash in on the $13bn (£8.19bn) Western fast food market in Asia’s third-largest economy.   Krispy Kreme’s rival Dunkin’ Donuts has already opened its first outlet in India, one of many Western food chains which sees the higher-spending urban Indian as a way to offset slowing sales in mature markets. Joining]]>
THE UK’s biggest baker and second largest grocery brand has introduced a new range of Indian-flavoured Baked Naan Chips.   Indian chef Monisha Baradwaj helped launch Warburtons “Baked Naan Chips” late last month at a cooking demonstration in west London.   Made from a naan bread recipe and inspired by iconic British-Indian dishes, the Baked Naan Chips are available in 150g bags and come in three flavours - Creamy Korma, Classic Tikka and Fiery Madra]]>
SUPPLEMENTS containing a compound found in curry spice may help prevent diabetes in people at high risk, according to a Thai study.       Researchers, whose results were published in the journal Diabetes Care, found that over nine months, a daily dose of curcumin seemed to prevent new cases of diabetes among people with so-called prediabetes - abnormally high blood sugar levels that may progress to full-blown type 2 diabetes.       ]]>
SRI LANKA’S tea industry is deeply divided over plans to boost earnings by importing cheaper leaves for blending and re-export, over fears the changes could water down the ]]>
FAST-FOOD patrons in New York City are eating far less unhealthy fat since restrictions on its use by restaurants were imposed four years ago, a report sponsored by the city said.   Trans-fats, especially common in hydrogenated vegetable oils, have been linked to long-term heart disease risk.   The study, released on Monday (July 16), found the average meal went from containing nearly three grams of trans-fat to just half a gram.   “It’s a sm]]>
THE EUROPEAN Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has ruled that cocoa powder and dark chocolate can help people improve blood circulation - a claim made by Barry Callebaut, the world’s largest maker of chocolate products.   The Swiss group, which supplies food companies such as Nestle and Hershey with cocoa and chocolate products, said on Tuesday (July 17) it had provided evidence to EFSA that eating 10 grammes of dark chocolate or its equivalent in cocoa that were high in flavano]]>
IN THE latest American food craze to catch on in France, Parisians are flocking to US-style food trucks for gourmet burgers, artisanal tacos and other decidedly non-French street foods.   Usually uber-traditionalists when it comes to dining, Parisians have fallen hard for the food trucks, with some queuing for up to two hours at lunch time to sample their wares.   Among the most popular is Le Camion Qui Fume (The Smoking Truck), a burger truck run by California nativ]]>
  LONG kept hidden from the tourist hordes by poor roads, Portugal's Douro Valley is opening up its quintas, or port wine estates, to upscale tourists who are throwing it a lifeline in a bad economy.   Starting near the remote border with Spain and cascading downriver to the sea at Porto, the historic port-producing valley is home to dozens of large quintas and more than 31,000 small growers, a world away from sprawling seaside resorts.   Also home to on]]>
THIS round-the-world trip can be completed in an afternoon, costs less than $100 and comes with hot sauce.   From Tibetan momos (dumplings) to Uruguayan alfajors (cookies), the food consumed on New York's Eat The Street tours offers a taste of immigrant life in the world's most ethnically diverse neighborhood - the borough of Queens, where more than 160 languages are spoken.   "You could find a nibble of anything here," said Andrew Silverstein, who ]]>
TOASTED tea cakes dripping in Yorkshire butter for breakfast, cod and chips, or maybe a pole and line caught tuna salad washed down with a glass of London 2012 red wine for lunch - spectators at this year’s Olympics will not be going hungry. ]]>
WHEN Yigal Ben Tzvi began working on the fish farms of his kibbutz two decades ago, he never imagined that one day each fish would be worth thousands of dollars.   During a trip to Russia in 1992, Ben Tzvi and his business partner Avshalom Hurvitz, spotted the potential of growing sturgeon on fish farms.   It was the peak of Russian Jewish immigration to Israel in the 1990s and they were looking to breed the famous Caspian Sea fish for local consumption by the thousa]]>
THE METEORIC rise of a natural, healthy alternative to sugar - a holy grail for the food industry - might just be a little too good to be true.   In two years stevia, a plant used for centuries by Paraguay’s Guarani Indians, has shot to prominence in products by Coca-Cola, Danone and Merisant.   Encouraged by distrust of artificial sweeteners and demand for natural products, they have turned to extract of stevia, which is up to 300 times sweeter than traditiona]]>
SRI LANKA, one of the world’s largest tea exporters, is considering blending a pricey tea with cheaper imported varieties for the first time to boost revenues, a top official said on Wednesday (May 9).   Sri Lanka Tea Board chief Janaki Kuruppu said they were studying proposals to allow imported teas to be mixed with the more expensive Sri Lankan tea, better known by the country’s former British colonial-era name “Ceylon”.   “We are care]]>
PARIS, the City of Lights, is also the city with the most expensive club sandwich in the world, according to a global survey released on Wednesday (May 9) by an online travel service. Hotels.com said it price-checked club sandwiches at more than 750 hotels in 26 cities in Asia, Europe, North America and South America to help travellers size up the affordability of different national capitals. The result? Paris topped the list with an average price of $33.10 for the iconic chicken, bac]]>
INDIA is to declare tea as its national drink to celebrate the life of a pioneering tea-planter who was hanged by British colonial rulers for taking part in the rebellion of 1857. Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia on Saturday (April 21) announced the decision while on a visit to Assam, the tea-producing northeastern state that borders on Bhutan and Bangladesh. Assam was the home state of Maniram Dewan, who is celebrated for introducing commercial tea productio]]>
TOP BRITISH chef Heston Blumenthal unveiled his latest culinary creations on Wednesday (April 18) for a special picnic at Buckingham Palace to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s diamond jubilee. The Michelin three-starred chef, who is known for his scientific approach to cuisine, has worked with royal chef Mark Flanagan to produce the menu for 12,000 visitors who will eat out in the palace garden on June 4. Britainis marking Queen Elizabeth’s 60th year on the throne with a fou]]>
FROM au pair to television chef of the moment, Rachel Khoo has come a long way since she landed in Paris from London six years ago, armed with schoolgirl French and a love of cooking. With a bestselling recipe book and BBC series, The Little Paris Kitchen, now under her belt, the 31-year-old looks well placed to be the next big thing on the television chef scene. Or rather, the next small thing. For Khoo’s new-found fame comes courtesy of the micro-restaurant which the bubbly br]]>
By Ashwin Mehra BILLED AS A ‘Gastronomic Adventure,’ Cafe Spice Namaste delivers on its promise, bringing together the best in South Asian food with the best of British sensibilities. This barrier breaking restaurant does away with the rich colours of traditional interiors and menus of Indian restaurants, combining a cacophony of fresh, diverse colours, smells and tastes with nearly all the fresh ingredients sourced from the UK. From the exceptionally, delicate and tasty Bhael Poo]]>
SUSHI by conveyor belt has been doing the rounds for a while. Only, Yo!Sushi still confidently caters to a range of diners from first-timers to fanatics. Every menu listing is photographed, making selecting from soups, rices, noodles, sushi, and desserts as easy as, well, watching food sail by. I began with delectable tuna sashimi – slices of raw fish on a bed of garnish – while my dinner companion opted for salmon: 'some of best in London' he asserted, having eaten at some of the ]]>
LETTING children play with food may be a no-no for many parents, but now the designers of sofas, lamps and tableware are also toying with the stuff that keeps us alive and kicking. Like contemporary psychologists who believe playing with food can help food phobias and fussy eaters, food designers are bringing a third dimension to the table. Take bread that talks, or edible stilettos for a bit of Valentine's Day fun. "The kitchen is an extraordinary playing field," said M]]>
VERY light wine consumption - the equivalent of about half a glass a day - over the long term appears to lead to a longer life, new research shows. Among a group of randomly selected Danish men who were repeatedly monitored between 1960 and 2000 as part of the Zutphen Study, long-term light wine consumption was associated with an increase in life expectancy of nearly five years. The benefit was independent of total alcohol consumption, Dr Martinette T. Streppel from Wageningen Universi]]>
RECESSION may have hit the £3bn ($5bn) Indian restaurant industry in the UK, but Britons continue to be hooked on their favourite spicy curry with cheaper, ready-made Indian meals flying off the shelves in supermarkets and corner shops. The number of people visiting Indian restaurants is down, but industry figures show that entrepreneurs who have switched to supplying ready-made Indian meals have seen their business soar - and some are struggling to meet supermarket demands. It is co]]>
DESPITE being surrounded by restaurants catering for all manner of desi tastes, Al Mirage stands out from the crowd. You cannot fail to be impressed by the lavish decor. The chandeliers, winding staircase and mood lighting make it a fitting choice for special occasions. Al Mirage is among a growing number of South Asian restaurants trying to appeal to the health conscious, with its menu offering a wide-range of vegetarian, non-vegetarian, and salad dishes from India and Pakistan. The meal beg]]>
DO NOT BE FOOLED by the name; Bengal Cuisine is not your typical Brick Lane offering. This is apparent from the moment you enter, with the natural light, laminated flooring and the desi artwork. The restaurant aims to give diners a cultural experience and the menu's references are the favourite dishes of the Moghuls. Indeed, the variety is fit for a king. With the chef being the first female winner of the Curry Chef of the Year prize and main course dishes nearly £10, our expectations w]]>
ANY EATERY that comes with a Best Chinese Restaurant tag from Zagat has a lot to live up to and Kai does not disappoint. From the moment you walk into this plush restaurant in the heart of London, you are quite clearly in a special Oriental zone. Once you have had a chance to settle in, you are made to feel completely at ease by the attentive staff. We started by ordering some red wine from an extremely impressive wine list, so best to take some advice on that one. For starters, we decided to ]]>
IN THESE gloomy economic times, diners are looking for feel-good food that is reasonably-priced and friendly service to lift their spirits. Lahore Karahi does the trick with its cheap and cheerful approach. The decor is minimal with no fancy lighting or artwork, but don't let this fool you over the quality of the food. The jumbo-sized mixed grill featu-ring chops, chicken tikka breast and shish kebabs, was a generous portion for a starter, even for four people. With just enough space in our b]]>
GOING out for a nice meal in central London inevitably means a hefty bill at the end of the evening. However, the new Fire & Spice restaurant, located just around the corner from Marble Arch, offers a refreshing change with its cut-price main courses amid some very posh and pricey eateries. The menu offers a unique fusion of English, Mediterranean and Indian cuisines. The choice between sweet potato cakes and tandoor-fired lamb makes picking one starter a rather difficult task. The salads]]>
FORGET Brick Lane, when it comes to impressive restaurants, look no further than Baraka. The eatery is a stone's throw away from Bangla Town, yet despite the competition, it more than holds its own. The striking and coordinated decor features beautiful pictures on the walls, with booths for privacy and round tables for family occasions. The waiters are friendly and polite, but beyond the style, Baraka also has plenty of substance. We opted for a mix of Indian and Bangladeshi cuisine. On the ]]>
AS A RESTAURANT owner in Glasgow seeks to patent chicken tikka masala, Indian chefs and culinary experts have dismissed his claim of having invented the mouth-watering dish as "preposterous". Ahmed Aslam Ali, a chef whose family owns the Shish Mahal restaurant in Glasgow, recently said he invented the spicy curry in the 1970s. The claim prompted Scottish MPs to seek European Union recognition through a "Protected Designation of Origin", which would put Glasgow's chicken tikk]]>