Daijiworld Media Network – Panaji (RS)

Panaji, Aug 29: Goa will host the four-day long international cuisine conference here which will focus on Goan cuisine amongst the international cuisine.The conference will be inaugurated on Sunday September 2.

“Renowned TV host Sanjeev Kapoor will be inaugurating the conference,’’ stated Dr Anjali Rao, chairman of Indology Goa, organizers of this conference.

“The focus of the conference will be on healthy traditional cuisines and their relevance and integration with modern fast paces life and food styles,’’ Rao stated.

The organizers stated that the aim of this conference is to examine the evolution, benefits and state of research on our tradition diet, as well as the potential and problems associated with its survival.

The conference will have veteran food expert Padmashree Thangam Philip, Padmashree Dr Tarla Dalal and Dr Mrunalini Devi, chancellor of Maharaja Sayyajirao University of Baroda, as its guests.

Dr Rao said that around 25 cuisine experts including  Niru Gupta, Dr Nutan Pandit, Pratibha Jain, Jigyassa Giri, Dr Siddharth Wakankar, Dr Alka Pandey, Dr Sumit Paul, Dr T V Sairam and Dr G B Sharma will be making their presentations on various aspect of traditional Asian cuisine during the conference.

The organizers are mulling over an important aspect of Goan losing its identity to the western culinary practices.

“Over the years, Goa has evolved from a very quiet little state with beautiful virgin beaches to a bustling tourist epicenter. This has enticed loads of business consisting primarily of restaurants, which started serving fusion cuisine. Due to the lack of dedication and passion to maintain accuracy by such restaurants, Goan cuisine had started to lose its originality,’’ Dr Rao said.

The organizers have also planned a year long campaign to promote the traditional authentic Goan cuisine in India and abroad.

“The campaign will be done in association with the coordinators of World Goa Day and the world alliance of Goan associations,’’ Rony Martins, chairman of International Events, Indology Goa, stated.