EATING OUT: AS LOCAL AS IT CAN GET
Sustainability, environmental concerns and nutrition value are some reasons why restaurants are opting for locally sourced ingredients
Have you ever wondered, how many miles the ingredients in your food travelled before landing on your plate? As the restaurant industry gets back to business with Covid-19 restrictions being removed, it is embracing sustainable practices to address environmental concerns. The use of local and seasonal ingredients, which shows consciousness towards the environment, has become a big selling point with restaurants. This means that most of the ingredients used in the dishes are sourced locally, grown around areas where you live, and reach you at the shortest possible time.
Altogether Experimental, a scratch kitchen, craft coffee bar and patisserie in Delhi, serves red rice bowls, millet Buddha bowls, salads, tartines, tacos and burgers — all of which, they claim, are 100% local, small-batch and in-house.Their menu changes four times a year to ensure that only seasonal produce is used. “We have tied up with local farms, so everything is fresh. Nothing comes to us frozen. And not just the food, but no plastic is around the restaurant. We only use glass bottles and bagasse containers for takeaway, and water cans instead of plastic bottles,” says Anukriti Anand, chef and owner.
Local sourcing of ingredients isn’t a new phenomenon. René Redzepi’s three Michelin Stars restaurant, Noma, in Copenhagen is known for using only hyperlocal ingredients, which have been foraged. The menu changes every season and often features ingredients such as wild grass, bee larvae, magnolia flowers and more, ingredients from a different variety every season. Since the commute is less, the ingredients stay fresh. This mode also contributes to environmental benefits like less pollution and less usage of fuel. ”
At Altogether Experimental’s scratch kitchen, syrups and flavours are produced in-house to ensure quality and reduction of plastic waste. “We don’t use any artificial flavours. sourced locally. This way, we get to decide
Quinoa, which is a native of what goes in our drinks and Latin America, is sourced from Haryana and Punjab at Andaz Delhi, and Himalayan trout has taken over the need for imported fish. Akshay Bhardwaj, head chef, says, “Sourcing ingredients locally not only helps in reducing our carbon footprint, but also supports local farmers and small-scale units. This is helping chefs overcome the bias towards imported ingredients.”
Sanskriti Gupta, founder of UnCafe, a farm-to-table concept restaurant in Delhi, stresses on the need for the customer to be able to track where their food comes from, which promotes mindful eating. “When you eat and buy from a shorter radius, your body connects well with the food. It also helps with keeping our menu interesting, as we get to pick
Sourcing ingredients locally also supports local farmers and small-scale units. AKSHAY BHARDWAJ, Head chef, Andaz Delhi
what the outcome will be,” Anand shares.
Freshness, nutrition value, support to local businesses and mindfulness are some pros of going for local sourcing. “Our produce is hydroponically grown. Locally produced ingredients guarantee freshness and have a more natural flavour to them. Rather than needing to preserve, freeze or otherwise extend the life of these ingredients, your dish will taste fresh, because it truly is fresh. The fact that it isn’t shipped or stored makes it more nutritious,” adds Gupta.