Kerala Tourism to organise Spice Route Culinary Festival

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 23 (PTI) A competition involvingthe choicest cuisine from countries along the historic SpiceRoute will be the highlight of the ‘Spice Route culinaryfestival’ to be held from September 23-26 in Kochi. An international competition, it will feature chefs from31 spice route nations, State Minister for Tourism A C Moideentold reporters here. "The culinary festival is a great opportunity to refortifyour ancient links with the 31 countries along the historicalspice route.It will provide a space for exchanging ideas andpromoting understanding between different cultures andtraditions and also help facilitate trade opportunities withthese countries," he said. The winning entrant and two runners-up will befelicitated during the culinary festival’s valedictorysession. All contestants will be issued certificates ofparticipation by Kerala Tourism, he said. Held under the aegis of the Spice Route project, aninitiative by Kerala Tourism in partnership with UNESCO, theculinary festival is a first-of-its-kind celebration offlavours and friendship that will see chefs from across theparticipant countries sample Kerala’s cultural and gastronomicofferings besides participating in cooking demonstrations andculinary discussions. "The festival will honour and rekindle the shared legacyof cosmopolitanism, commerce, connectivity and culturalexchange between the countries on the ancient and enduring sealink. It will only augment Kerala’s pull as a destination forcultural tourism," said state tourism director U V Jose. The minister also released the logo for the spice routeculinary festival. PTI JRK BNKUNMAV