Ladurée, Svami’s 2-Cal Cola, Samsara’s Pink Gin, & Project Synaesthesia in Pune
A look at the news and newsmakers making headlines in the food and beverage industry in the last several weeks.
Everything is open for business.
After a tough year that hit the hospitality industry (among others), things appear to be picking up. New restaurants are mushrooming in the metros, travel is back on track, Goa is battling too many tourists, and new products are keeping us spoilt for choice.
It’s been a busy month. In Goa, the Director of Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR-CCARI) wants to tetra-pack mancurad mango so it’s available through the year. Delhi’s Rajendra Place metro station has a new fixture, a double-decker bus converted into a restaurant, Food Bus of India. In Pune, home-chef Saee Koranne Khandekar reimagined well-known Maharashtrian food creating Sukka Sabudana Poppers, Malwani Shakshouka, Koli masala Prawn Toast, and a Chincha Gool Whiskey Sour. Elsewhere, the Food For Change 2021 campaign by Relais & Châteaux and Slow Food International shone the spotlight on Rajasthan’s kumatiya seeds and Tamil Nadu’s seeraga samba rice.
Here’s a round-up of some of the highlights of F&B space in the last month.
A community dining space
Every Sunday for five years, The Table in Colaba has hosted a Sunday Bake Sale selling breads and other bakes treats. This tradition ended last month with the launch of Mag St. Café (MSC), a cosy dining space-cum-retail store. On the menu, a taste of all that’s popular at the parent company Food Matters’ many outlets: Mag St Toppings, Miss T, The Table and Mag St. Bread Co.
Think soup, salads, pizzas, burgers, curries, pho, risotto, mac ‘ n cheese, gyoza and more. There’s a breakfast menu with kombucha and porridge bowls, a kids’ special menu with games, and drinks too. Their retail/ bakery section has pantry products like croissants, cruffins and granola from Mag St Bread Co, and products from external brands like Bono ice cream, Mavi's kombucha, Kumaoni Blessings, and Ishka Farms.
“We wanted the space to be more than just another café in Colaba, and to be an integral extension of people’s day to day lives. And we hope to do that by creating experiences for the community that go beyond food and beverage; engaging with the local art galleries, book launches, neighbourhood walks and lots more,” says Gauri Devidayal, Director, Food Matters Group. Instagram
Image credit: Mag St. Café
Image credit: Mag St. Café
A vegan label
India will introduce the country’s first vegan food safety standards and labelling regulations. In September, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) formulated a draft report for the Food Safety and Standards (Vegan Food) Regulations 2021. This is a set of guidelines, India’s first, to define plant-based food products. It includes a new vegan logo — a green V with a plant and the word vegan underneath — to help customers know a product is animal-free and vegan-friendly.
This move comes at an opportune moment. The search for plant-based alternatives is pushing a market that is seeing a rise in alt-meat products, from tempeh cubes to vegan eggs. Most recently, Mumbai-based Charcoal Eats in partnership with Blue Tribe, launched what they call India’s first plant-based Chicken Keema Biryani.
On a side note, India is still working on a regulation to allow front-of-pack (FoP) labelling, despite the fact that manufacturers have crossed the threshold for saturated fats, sugars, and sodium in products.
Sweet treats
In 1930, one man Pierre Desfontaines had the idea of sticking two macaron shells together using a creamy ganache. These macarons not only achieved cult status globally, they continue to enthrall consumers decades later.
Last month, these famous macarons made their way to India as the French patisserie Ladurée set up shop in Delhi’s Khan Market. On the ground floor is the patisserie, showcasing the famous macarons (in 12 flavours), viennoiseries, teacakes and pastries to go. The top two floors are the salon de thé (tea shop), designed by Paris-based interior design studio Ravn. The colour scheme is pastel — peaches and greens — with floral prints, wicker ceilings, marble table tops, velvet banquettes and for a local touch, arched mirrors.
Chef Godfroy Leinekugel heads the Indian kitchen creating a menu with signature Ladurée staples like the Classic French Toast, croque-monsieurs, Chicken Vol-au-vents, Medovik Pastry, French omelettes and croissants. The Indian touch is in the form of a Chicken Tikka Sandwich and a Rose Cake.
A healthy cola
There’s a new diet cola in the market, and it promises just two calories. It’s a claim reflected in its name: Svami 2 Cal Cola.
Svami Drinks, Mumbai’s beloved brand of non-alcoholic beverages, launched Svami 2 Cal Cola and Svami Salted Lemonade in September. Their cola is sugar-free, has zero synthetic/artificial flavours and contains just two calories. “We looked at all the diet cola products and thought we could make a better-tasting product and at the same time expand on our low in calorie products,” says Aneesh Bhasin, co-founder, Svami Drinks. “It is a very versatile cola made with mixing in mind.” The cola pairs well with alcohol, its vanilla and cinnamon notes complementing dark spirits especially, for drinks such as Cuba Libres, JDs, and LIIT.
Image credit: Svami Drinks
India’s First Pink Gin
If Glenmorangie could introduce a limited-edition single malt whisky inspired by cake, called A Tale of Cake, could our local gin brands be far behind?
On the first anniversary of their launch, Saṃsāra introduced a limited-edition New World Experiment gin. The City of Pink is a pink gin infused with the brand’s signature 11 botanicals, and further on, with strawberries, mulberries, rose and hibiscus.
Image credit: Saṃsāra
“Our brand story follows Lady Saṃsāra exploring the universe and finding an elixir in a botanical garden in Goa. With New World Experiments, we are continuing her journey, releasing it in chapter form. These chapters will be a series of limited-edition releases, exploring a different story, geographical region, and taste palate. The first chapter is about her adventures in Rajasthan,” says Aditya Aggarwal, founder, Spaceman Spirits Lab.
The gin is sweeter, low ABV (37%), fruity and floral, with mellow spice undertones; “It’s like biting into a ripe strawberry”; and pairs well with sparkling wine.
Saṃsāra City of Pink launches in Goa, and Maharashtra in October, and Karnataka, Rajasthan in November. Website
Reinventing the meal
What does a painting taste like? In September, chef Rahul Kanojia set out to answer that very question. The ex-Noma, and ex-Gaa chef hosted a seven-course multi-sensory dining experience that combined art and food in one delicious evening.
Project Synaesthesia was a collaboration with The Hedonist in Pune. The meal unfolded in four ‘acts’: visual — observing the painting; sound — discovering the meaning/story behind it; smell and taste — eating a dish corresponding to it; and synaesthesia — experiencing the mingling of all senses. “During my visit abroad and while talking to friends in the art world, I got curious about the concept of intermingling of your senses and wanted to apply that to food,” says Kanojia.
Dish inspired by Amrita Sher-Gil’s Three Girls
Image credit: Project Synaesthesia
The five paintings he chose were: Amrita Sher-Gil’s Three Girls, Jamini Roy’s Two Cats Holding a Large Prawn, the Mughal miniature Emperor Jahangir Embracing Shah Abbas of Persia, MF Husain’s Horses of Sun, and Raja Ravi Varma’s Hesitation. Kanojia’s food — he calls his cooking style ‘post-modern Indian’ — reflects his understanding of the art. For example, in Hesitation, Raja Ravi Varma combined the realism of European renaissance paintings with Indian mythology, so Kanojia put together a slow-cooked pumpkin with rose oil and vinegar — using European techniques to reimagine the humble pumpkin that’s a staple in Indian homes.
Joanna Lobo is an independent journalist from Goa who enjoys writing about food, her Goan heritage, the freelance life, and other things that make her happy. Follow her on @thatdoggonelady.
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