LETTER FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

GRATIFICATION MAY SCRAPE the bottom of the barrel of American psychologist Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, but for the bon vivant’s love of gourmandise, there is “no more admirable occupation than eating. Appetite is for the stomach what love is for the heart…” It is this sentiment that Spice tosses up this issue. But our toothsome test of taste cuts its teeth on all things unexpected; the food story unfolds not at regular gourmet capitals of the world, where innovative techniques or new trends in cookery steal the show. Spice puts the spotlight on the single most exciting international food wave that has been quietly sweeping the globe. It pulls out all the stops; peels away the misconceptions and serves up luxuriously gourmet and inventive fare that the world is lapping up. The new foodie ‘ism’ hasn’t just ‘vegetarianised’ wellness gurus, health devotees and Gen Next but secured a loyal legion of converts among some of the world’s most brilliant chefs. Rene Redzipi of Noma— Copenhagen’s two-Michelin-star restaurant, ranked second in the World’s Fifty Best Restaurant’s list—has introduced a 15-course vegetarian menu this season; Parisian cooking legend Alain Passard is a proud banner-wielding vegetarian warrior and even the zaftig Bridget Bardot is promoting St Tropez as a vegan destination. Even, chef Vikas Khanna, who graces our cover, voted one of the Sexiest Men Alive by People magazine (in 2012), showered with a Michelin star for his New York restaurant, Junoon, confesses that “the vast varieties of unexplored vegetarian really is the future”. He ensures that all his 30 cookbooks, and his brand new restaurant Kinara, in Dubai, serve up almost 65 per cent vegetarian. But the Spice story does one better than merely ramp up support for the Green Revolution, it storms uncharted territories, exploring the finest vegetarian plates in the most unexpected capitals around the world from Beijing to Tokyo, Warsaw and Paris to St Petersburg and even Berlin among many meat-loving bastions. From the gastronomic swagger of vegetarianism, we explore Colombia’s lure as the new culinary destination of Latin America, beyond the country’s clichéd moorings in magic realism and cocaine. Spice’s hedonistic travels come full circle with a whirlwind tour of ten of the best bars and bar experiences from around the country. It’s time to sniff, swirl, and savour, as the winter cool makes for the perfect companion on a sensual journey.