Telangana cuisine meets French gastronomy in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: Telangana State’s diverse range of cuisine is set to go global with efforts piloted by The Culinary Lounge. The two-day ‘Kakatiya à la Française’, an experiential culinary and cultural initiative organised at the Culinary Lounge on June 25-26, signalled the entry to Europe.

The Culinary Lounge, brainchild of Gopi Byluppala, began as a culinary accelerator for Telangana’s food traditions, local ingredients, producers and culinary enterprises. It has joined hands with the Alliance Française, the noted Chef and culinary storyteller Michael Swamy, with his curated menu and the distinctive paintings of Telangana life by Laxman Aelay in the backdrop to launch the journey.

Conceived as the first chapter of the larger “Telangana to the World, Beginning with Europe” initiative, Kakatiya à la Française seeks to create a distinctive and exportable culinary identity for Telangana. One of the efforts is via the interpretation of its rich food heritage through the lens of French gastronomy and the French art de vivre with Chef Michael Swamy, who created a French six-course menu using Telangana food and ingredients.

“The world knows Telangana’s IT. It also knows Hyderabadi biryani. It’s time it knew our regional food. We’re taking a thousand-year-old Kakatiya cuisine to the global stage, starting in France. Great regional cuisines don’t go global by accident; someone has to carry them there, and we’re starting in France. This is the first chapter of taking our heritage to Europe and beyond,” shares Gopi Byluppala, Founder & CEO, The Culinary Lounge.

These experiences/workshops serve as a working model for how Telangana’s culinary heritage can be presented for global audiences and eventually carried forward to wider Europe through cultural exchange, culinary diplomacy and experiential tourism, he adds.

Special Chief Secretary HMDA Jayesh Ranjan said: “Initiatives like Kakatiya à la Française show how our food, art and culture can take their rightful place on the global stage, and we welcome efforts that carry Telangana’s identity to the world while creating opportunity for our artisans, farmers and young entrepreneurs at home.”

The Director, Alliance Française Hyderabad, Maud Miquau, restaurateurs and chefs Shankar Krishnamurthy, Kavitha Mantha, artist Priyanka Aeley and culinary curator Mugdha Sudhir also participated.

At the preview, Chef Michael Swamy served Crackers, Chekkalu, Pindi Vadiyalu, Sago Poppadums and local savoury crisps on the cheese plate that, along with the French cheeses, had figs and mangoes on the side, and dips included Red Pepper Walnut Chilli Dip and mahua chilli jam.

There were also fish fingers marinated in mustard inspired by Uppava and crumb fried, Smoked Gongura Chicken Pâté, and Mushroom Vol-au-Vent — puff pastry cases filled with a mixed mushroom filling inspired by kobbari muttilu.

“It’s about bringing the flavour I want to showcase to a different palate, giving it to a wider audience, and that is what I want to do,” shared Michael Swamy.

The preview also marked the launch of the Zishta Experience Centre, Bengaluru, run by Meera Ramakrishnan. She highlighted how traditional wisdom and indigenous culinary practices translated to copper, brass, tin and stone utensils. Senior artist Laxman Aelay’s special showcase of Poolamma, bringing together visual art and cultural memory, was part of the larger storytelling experience.

The highlights of the culinary experiences were two specially curated dinners. “Kakatiya Roots” on June 26 presents an immersive journey into the traditions of Siddipet, where local Telangana ingredients are interpreted through French culinary techniques by Chef Michael Swamy. On June 27, “Ramappa to Reims” brought together Adilabad culture and French culinary traditions.