BREAD BUFFET

REVIVING HERITAGE CUISINE

HERITAGE

“Heritage” is the legacy of physical science artifacts and intangible attributes of a group or society that are inherited from past generations, maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations.UNESCO has defined cuisine as “A comprehensive cultural model encompassing the entire traditional food chain of farming, culinary techniques and recipes which are transmitted from generation to generation and provide communities and groups with a sense of identity and continuity”

FOOD AS CULTURE AND HERITAGE 

Food is history. Food is culture. Preserving traditional foods is an argument for co-preserving culture, especially in regions facing continual domination.There are cultures with cuisines and histories that have been actively suppressed by colonizing forces and Western influences that disapprove of their traditional recipes. Food heritage is a term that encompasses the origins of plants and animals and their dispersal, the sites where people first cultivated plants and domesticated animals, as well as the earliest locations around the world where people first processed, prepared, sold and ate foods.

SIGNIFICANT TRANSFORMATION IN DIETARY HABITS

The dietary habits of the population have undergone significant transformations, which include an increased consumption of industrialized products. At the same time, there is a growing interest in local food consumption, linked to aspects such as health, the environment and cultural identity. 

PURPOSE OF REVIVING LOST FOOD

The purpose of this work is to analyze the role that personal identity and free time play in the reproduction of heritage cuisine in contemporary societies. It concludes that tourism practices enable the continuity of certain local foods, reinterpreted in the light of urban consumption.

HERITAGE FOOD, CUISINE AND COOKING TECHNIQUES – AROUND THE WORLD

MAORI HANGI

Hāngī food was traditionally wrapped in flax leaves (similar to the Samoan “Umu”), but a modern Hāngī is more likely to substitute foliage with cloth sacks, aluminium foil and wire baskets. Hāngī packs are also popular – the food is put into individual foil takeaway containers and covered with cardboard lids before being cooked.The baskets are placed on hot stones at the bottom of the hole. The food is covered with wet cloth and a mound of earth that traps the heat from the stones around the food.The Hāngī food is left in the ground for about three to four hours, depending on the quantity being cooked.

BOODOG

Boodog is a cooking technique which uses hot stones to cook marmot or goat.Hang a marmot or a goat at the head, and cut the skin around its neck. Now it is possible to pull the skin and most of the meat down over the inner skeleton. Break the legs at the knee.Turn the removed skin and meat back, so that the hair is at the outside again. Fill the resulting "sack" with the following ingredients: Some salt, one or two peeled onions, and a number of stones, that have been heated up in a fire for about an hour. The stones must have a smooth and round surface. At the end, the neck is closed with a piece of wire.Burn away the fur. Then scratch the remains off together with the uppermost layer of the skin. The meat is cooked enough when all of the skin surface leaks with fat.

BALOCHI SAJJI

Sajji is one of the most popular dishes of Baluchistan, Pakistan. The Baluchi’s love their meat, they celebrate the experience of cooking on a large coal spit roast and the family gathers together to rejoice in this simple culinary tradition. Almost always eaten with soft large whole wheat breads and some accompanying vegetable and pickle – once ready the chicken is usually cut into quarters and topped with spicy chaat masala and lemon juice.

OTTOMAN CUISINE

Turkish cuisine is largely the heritage of Ottoman cuisine, which can be described as a fusion and refinement of Central Asian, Middle Eastern and Balkan cuisines. Turkish cuisine also influenced these cuisines and other neighbouring cuisines, as well as western European recipes. The Ottomans fused various culinary traditions of their realm with influences from Middle Eastern cuisines, along with traditional Turkic elements from Central Asia such as yogurt.

Factors For Creation of Ottoman Cuisine

Habits inherited from Central Asia:
The continuation of meat and milk based eating habits of Turks (generated by their Central Asian lifestyles and caused by the peculiarity of the geography) during the Ottoman period clearly indicates its longevity.

 The influence of Arabic and Persian cultures during the migrations:
During the period of migration to Anatolia, Turks benefited from the eating habits and foods of the countries where they stayed. Adopted elements of Persian and Arabian cultures during this process remained in the Ottoman culinary culture up to the 19^th Century. The most significant evidence indicating this interaction are Arabic or Persian dishes and food product names.

Acquaintance with Anatolian staples or the influence of the Byzantine cuisine:
In the 15^th century, the Ottomans preferred fruit, vegetables and greens in their diet more than ever. Neither in Central Asia nor during the period of the Great Seljuk's had they consumed such abundant fresh produce. Thus, it would not be wrong to assume that the Turks immediately started consuming new produce that had recently become available to them.

A LA CRUZ

A La Cruz is an Argentinean, spit roasting technique of cooking. An iron cross is nailed to the ground which is surrounded by hot charcoal. Large joints of marinated meat or an entire animal whose internal organs have been removed are tied onto these iron crosses. The heat causes the cooking of the meat and the smoke imparts a delectable flavour to the meat.

HERITAGE FOOD, CUISINE AND COOKING TECHNIQUES - INDIA

Just like the Indian culture, the food of the Indian subcontinent is also varied. The culinary style and dietary habits alter from one region to another. India has been invaded by a number of foreign powers at different ages. The local tastes of the Indian dishes gradually got influenced by the foreign culinary styles like that of British, French and so on…

LULE KABOB

This flavorful ground beef is slow cooked over an open flame making it an especially delicious kabob. The Lule Kabob is mixed with minced onion and fresh parsley. As with all of our kabobs, it is marinated with spices from all over the Mediterranean and always served fresh and made to order. Served with basmati rice, a roasted tomato, spiced onions, tangy turnips, smooth hummus, and a crispy pita. It also comes as a wrap.

PARINDE MEIN PARINDA

A complicated assembly of egg in marinated quail which is then stuffed in chicken and cooked on Dum This is a small variation of Arabic dish which has a big animal such as camel which is stuffed with small animal and then cooked on Dum.

PISTON KA KHEEMA

Lamb mince cooked with Afghani pistachios and spices. A creation from the era of Bahadur Shah Zafar who was captive at The Red Fort.

UNESCO'S INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE

UNESCO has a list of 38 elements which are part of its Intangible Cultural Heritage for safeguarding. Instituted in 2009, this list has an eclectic mix of different cultural elements including dance, music, food and crafting. Some of which are:
1. Traditional Mexican Cuisine
2. The Mediterranean Diet
3. Turkish Coffee
4. Croatian Gingerbread Making
5. Washoku (Japanese cuisine)