A Foodie's Expedition

Gone are the days when television shows about food were limited to cookery shows, which had chefs showing us how to whip up delectable recipes. People would sit, armed with notepads and pens, feverishly jotting down ingredients and methods involved in the process.

There is a refreshingly entertaining trend on Indian television these days with food shows which are not just about cooking. They involve travelling to destinations far and beyond and experiencing local cuisines and flavours. ‘TIMES NOW’ has ‘The Foodie’ which is extremely popular. Then there is ‘Secret Kitchen’ on ‘CNN-IBN’. ‘NDTV GOOD TIMES’ also has some interesting shows on offer like ‘Chakh Le India’. For global travels and a taste of international culinary flavours, ‘Travel and Living’ serves up some pretty fun presentations on its platter.

This genre, that involves both travel and gastronomy are a food lover’s delight. It’s like hitting two birds with one stone: getting acquainted with diverse destinations and cultures while travelling in a quest towards discovering incredible culinary delights. Whether it’s visiting the royalty of Rajasthan and sampling some of their exotic gastronomic preparations or making a trip to the Parathewali Galli in Old Delhi’s Chandni Chowk to gorging at roadside ‘dhabas’ to the dining at five star hotels, one can experience it all!

For such a show to be able to hold the interest of viewers, the host needs to be very competent. It’s a real letdown when one has to endure rather average anchoring skills on display. When the show is about food, the host needs to be one who clearly enjoys the whole experience of eating. An anchor with a witty sense of humour can be an icing on the cake!

Culinary shows sure know how to titillate the taste buds of viewers. Watching various ingredients, spices and flavours coming together to create a mouthwatering mélange is an invigorating experience. At times, it’s like one can actually smell the aroma emanating through the television sets! Now that is visual stimulation at its best!

- Ruchika Mathur, Bespoken Words Team