Platter to delight

Ranchi, Oct. 15: Jharkhand cuisine is all set to find a place on the international map when overseas experts discuss research in the hospitality and tourism sector during an international workshop to be organised by BIT, Mesra, in January 2008.

Department of hotel management and catering technology, BIT, Mesra, would be organising the workshop.

Sonia Gupta, a senior faculty in the department of hotel management and catering technology, told The Telegraph that they have zeroed in on experts in the hospitality sector from middle-eastern countries and New Zealand who would be participating in the prospective week-long seminar.

This would be in series of two earlier seminars held at the state and country-level in September this year at BIT, Mesra.

“During the country-level seminar, at least two groups in the tourism and hospitality sector promised to introduce the Jharkhand cuisine. While MDLR Airlines has decided to offer peethas (made of rice, sugar, molasses and vegetable oil) and litti-chokha, the Capitol group of hotels has also come up with the idea of offering a Jharkhandi thali in its menu,” added Gupta.

During his recent visit, Koustav M. Dhar, the MDLR Airlines president (commercial and special projects), has promised the same while Ravindra Kumar, the president of Capitol group, had promised to start the Jharkhand thali in their menu.

As far as the international workshop on research in hospitality and tourism sector is concerned, experts would discuss the uplifting of the current status of education in the hospitality industry and suggest ways to ensure a region-wise boom in tourism.

This is where the local cuisine would play a role.

“Every state has its own distinct cuisine. But when it comes to Jharkhand, we forgot to name a few. Our department is already conducting a research on Jharkhandi cuisine that essentially comprises rice-based preparations,” said Sonia.

“Teachers imparting education in the hospitality sector also need time-to-time practical training. In every two years, teachers should be sent to industries for the latest trends. The six-month training for hotel management and catering technology students also needs to be structured so that students can get true hands-on-experience,” said Atul Gupta, head of department of hotel management and catering technology.

The authorities are yet to decide about the exact dates of the international workshop, but it is expected to take place sometime in the third week of January.