Indians, however, still would look for the colour of food believing firmly that if the colour is attractive the food should be good, say experts.
NEW DELHI: Adapting to globalisation when it comes to their eating habits, Indians, however, still would look for the colour of food believing firmly that if the colour is attractive the food should be good, say experts.
"Indians first go with the colour of the food and have a tendency to believe that if the colour is good then the taste would automatically be great," says master Chef Irshad Ahmed Qureshi of Inter-Continental.
"I have been to China, Japan, Malaysia, England and the Middle East where chefs give priority to presentation of dishes and colour doesn't matter for them. But in India, especially for seasoned Indian dishes, colour with the use of different spices does matter to make it look more attractive," he adds.
Rajesh Wadhwa, Executive Chef, Taj Hotel, says that Indians also care more for the taste and the ambiance of the place. "Now-a-days, an Indian foodie would also ask for the cooking medium used but the queries on the subject are higher from foreigners."
Ritu Dalmia, who owns the Italian restaurant 'Diva' in the capital, however, says that gone are the days when Indians used to look for colours. "That is certainly not true. Taste is always the priority."
Supporting Dalmia's viewpoint, Veena Arora of Imperial, says "Indians now know what they want and are very clear about their preferences. Since they are clear it makes it easier for me to keep on experimenting and adding new recipes to my menu."
Now that Indians are adapting their palates to global tastes, is Indian food a hit with the rest of the world?
Rajesh Mishra, Former Chairman, Federation of Restaurant and Hotels Association of India (FHRAI) is of the opinion that Indian food is being recognised abroad because of its unique preparation.
"It is not only North Indian dishes which are popular. Authentic South Indian food like Idli, Dosa and Uththpam are also finding a place in tourists wish list. We have a different food culture here and the presentation style of all the dishes are different from each other. In China or Japan, sea food needs to be decorated in that manner," he says.
Master Chef Sanjeev Kapoor says authenticity changes over a period of time adding, "Around 400 years ago we did not have chillies, tomatoes or potatoes. Today can we imagine Indian food without all these? Indians are now displaying a global perspective and are becoming increasingly health conscious."
"Foreigners like to keep the spice level in the food intact. Even if they are told it is spicy they prefer to go with it because they like to leave the taste of the food as it is," says Wadhwa.
Qureshi, who has descended from the master cooks of the royal court of Raja Jahangirabad, a few kilometers from Lucknow, says that Indian dishes are getting popular in the other part of the world and it has helped chefs from India to get jobs worldwide.
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