Jowai, Dec 14: The Society of Urban and Rural Empowerment (SURE), Jowai in collaboration with North East Slow Food and Agro-biodiversity Society, Shillong organised a one day cooking demonstration workshop and exchange of knowledge between the Chefs from Thailand and the community of Tyrchang village, under Thadlaskein Block of West Jaintia Hills District.
Three chefs from Thailand; Nutdanai Trakansuphakon, Yuttapan Phiphatmongkhonkun and Kanlaya Chermue who are partners of NESFAS, Shillong visited Tyrchang; a small village near Ummulong for promoting indigenous food system.
Apart from Cooking demonstration and exchange of traditional knowledge, the two groups also exchange recipe of some indigenous dishes and ingredients that are being use in the cooking between the communities in Tyrchang and the friends from Thailand.
Before starting the cooking demonstration; the different activities that the group which included team from NESFAS, SURE and interns from department of Social Work Edmund’s college engaged on the days was to walk to the forest to forage or in searching the wild edible plant available in the local forest.
On returning from the forest; both the community, and the three chefs started cooking and five dishes were prepared by the community including dish from banana tree (pachor), pumpkin (patho), broth made of dry fish (mynchit ktung), dry fish mix (ktung khleh), Yam (chru), mix vegetable (jhur khleh) and fermented fish paste (tungtap).
Whereas the chef from Thailand demonstrate three type of dishes, Maho dish, a special dish traditionally serves to welcome the quest especially those from the royal family during ancient time. The second dish is Sangkaia which is like a dessert serve after having food and the third dish is chicken fry with pumpkin.
The edible leaves were added to improve the presentation of the dishes prepare by the chefs from Thailand. Unfortunately because of the dry season, the community were not able to collect as much wild edible plant as they had expected.
The cooking demonstration went with a two part demonstration from both the parties; the people Tyrchang of community and the chefs from Thailand and the staff of SURE help with translation. After the cooking the community join together in a sumptuous lunch with the food prepared by both the local community and the chefs from Thailand.
Also present on the occasion was the Waheh Chnong of Tyrchang village Noah Pohshna and in conclusion there was exchange of seeds and gifts between the two communities.
