Culinary Cascade Festival Starts In Shillong
The Culinary Cascade Festival in Shillong, Meghalaya, kicked off with a vibrant celebration of traditional cuisine, live cooking shows, and sustainable food practices, featuring local farmers, chefs, and dignitaries including Sudha Murty.
Ward’s Lake in Shillong was positively brimming with excitement on Wednesday, as Meghalaya’s much-awaited Culinary Cascade Festival made its grand entrance – and what an entrance it was! Picture this: chefs wielding ladles like swords, local farmers proudly flaunting their produce, and dignitaries grinning like Cheshire cats at the prospect of a three-day food fiesta. If there was ever a time to loosen one’s belt, this was it.
Now, if you thought this was just another ‘nibble and nod’ event, think again. With over ₹1000 crore’s worth of tourism infrastructure bubbling in the pot, including four five-star hotels (hold your horses, they’re coming in the next three years), 2,500 homestays, glamping sites, and direct flights to Shillong from Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad – it’s clear this isn’t just a flash in the pan. It was even mentioned earlier that Ward’s Lake is headed for a makeover – complete with parking, shops, and walking spaces. At this rate, one might soon need a map to navigate the lake.
Enter Sudha Murty – author, philanthropist, and all-round good egg – who was spotted marveling at Lakadong turmeric, bay leaves, cinnamon, and rather exquisite packaging. One could almost hear her thinking, “Why isn’t the rest of India in on this spice cabinet secret?”
The festival, running till May 3, is a veritable smorgasbord of flavours. Traditional Khasi, Jaintia, and Garo dishes rubbed shoulders with street food favourites like dohsnam, ktung, ramen, and the ever-Instagrammable boba tea. Locally brewed coffee and drinks were poured with flair, and one could spot more than a few visitors blissfully nursing cups like they’d discovered the Holy Grail – or at least the perfect blend.
A highlight of the day? A cracking good panel on fermentation – not the sort that leaves your pickle jar forgotten at the back of the fridge, mind you. This was top-drawer stuff, with chefs and food boffins like Jason White (of Noma fame), Ahmedaki Laloo, Prachet Sancheti, and others chewing the fat on how fermentation is less science experiment and more cultural ritual.
Speaking of rituals, there was plenty of storytelling on the menu too. MasterChef India runner-up Nambie Jessica Marak stole hearts when she said, “Culinary Cascade is more than just food. It’s about storytelling, textiles, ingredients, and everything local.” And frankly, if there was a crown going for ‘Ambassador of the Day’, she’d have bagged it faster than you could say “Lakadong”.
The day ended with a lovely vote of thanks by Shri Cyril Diengdoh, followed by a cheerful meander through the food stalls, where local entrepreneurs laid out their finest delicacies. Dignitaries were seen chatting away with stall owners, presumably asking the age-old question, “What’s your secret ingredient?” – and hopefully not getting “love” as an answer, again.
With free entry, a flavour-packed schedule, and more local pride than you could shake a ladle at, the Culinary Cascade promises a proper knees-up for food lovers of every stripe. So if you’re anywhere near Shillong this week, do pop by. Just come hungry – you wouldn’t want to be caught with an empty stomach and full regret.
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