Kerala Tourism to hold 'Spice Route' culinary festival in September

Kochi: As part of the upcoming Kerala Travel Mart 2016, a Spice Route Culinary Festival will be held in Kerala between September 23 and 26.

Hosted by Unesco, Kerala Tourism and union tourism ministry, the event will commemorate the region's legacy of maritime trade spanning over 2,000 years. Leading chefs from 31 countries will participate in the festival.

Besides presenting their own culinary creations, these chefs will sample Kerala's cultural offerings, participate in culinary discussions and demonstrations.

The Kerala Travel Mart will be inaugurated here on September 28, the World Tourism Day.

"The culinary festival will promote the KTM 2016 theme of 'Muziris and Spice Route'. There will be a competition in which an expert panel and invited dignitaries will rate dishes and select the best chef," said KTM Society President Abraham George.

The dishes -- an entree and dessert each -- will be based on made-to-order recipes inspired by Kerala spices, using locally sourced ingredients.

The festival will culminate with a public tasting event.

Ambassadors of participating countries will join the culinary festival. The winner will be felicitated at the inaugural ceremony of KTM 2016.

"With the Spice Route festival expected to bring in a substantial number of foreign tourists to Kerala, the KTM is hoping to augment the state's destination pull," said George.