The first, and perhaps only, problem lies in the name. “It is a fruit while it is still raw, but becomes a vegetable once ripe,” notes Aashish Singh, Corporate Chef, Café Delhi Heights and Dhansoo Café. Singh continues, “Jackfruit is truly the vegetarian’s meat — it can be used in a variety of ways in which meat is cooked, it has the requisite texture, and the ability to absorb whatever flavours you want to infuse it with.”
Inspired then by the growing appetite among Indians for sustainable and naturally-available alternatives to animal-based meat, Hilton India, in partnership with Wakao Foods, has put up a sustainable food showcase for diners. The food festival titled ‘The Wakao Fest’, aims at offering a dining experience like no other through an extensive menu, with jackfruit as the core ingredient. This revolutionary menu will be available across Hilton properties in the country.
Discussing the versatility of jackfruit, Sairaj Dhond, Founder and CEO, Wakao Foods, says, “As the world looks at more plant-based alternatives, which are healthier and more sustainable, there is a growing interest in meatless meals off late. The versatile and indigenously-grown jackfruit is bursting onto the scene and finding itself being used more often. The pop-up therefore explores the versatility of the humble jackfruit, which is considered a superfood but needs to be more relevant across the cuisine culture of the country.”
Speaking about the ongoing food festival, Dhond adds, “These kinds of platforms and collaborations give start-ups like ours a fillip to take our efforts to more people and educate the consumer as well. The collaboration brings their [Hilton’s] culinary expertise to one of our most-loved indigenous products, the jackfruit.”
It is not just this festival. “We are still figuring out the ways we can use it. At Bo Tai, we make this amazing bao using the flesh of jackfruit, and we’ve only just begun. There is a lot more we can come up with, and we are going to,” shares Chef Durgesh Tyagi, who runs a kitchen at the upscale wine-and-dine in Mehrauli, under the auspices of Zorawar Kalra’s Massive Restaurants.
Chef Bakshish Dean, who has ushered in multi-national brands as well as helped in-country companies grow, concludes, “We are blessed in our country with a variety of foods and so-called ‘super-foods’. There will always be people coming up with ways to make them seem new and exciting. Generations of chefs are playing around with the next ‘big thing.’ We will still return to kathal, because it is a vehicle for the flavours you want to imbibe in it.”