A gastronomical ride, Down Under

Chef Sanjeev Kapoor’s latest TV show ‘Out of the World – Australia’ will be aired on Food Food channel every Friday, and will feature everything authentically Aussie from the eyes of the famed chef, as he tries his hand at the didgeridoo, boomerang and of course, food from the region

Chef Sanjeev Kapoor, recently, got more than a peek into the culture of Australia for his series ‘Out of the World’. This time, he embarked on a food trail across the different states of the continent, making it a memorable culinary and travel experience.

His latest series launched on December 18, and will air on Food Food channel at 9 pm every Friday. The world-renowned chef talks about the show – from touring the vast expanse, to showcasing ingredients that are distinctly Aussie; one can indeed look forward to knowing more about the people from Down Under.

Excerpts

What is the focus of the show ‘Out of the World – Australia’?

It’s all about finding elements of Australia, not just the sights and cities but food, culture and music too – all this from an Indian perspective.

What has been your observations of the Australian cuisine?

The whole country is like one big restaurant with quality produce available everywhere. The people also respect good food. And food by the aborigines or the indigenous people of Australia is not prevalent in mainstream. But there are many chefs trying to introduce the same in a modern way. It is overall a mélange of cuisines from all over the world. The distinct feature in modern Australia is that you will even find good Ethiopian food easily.

What is one of their top cooking techniques?

Barbeque is very Aussie and they refer to it as “Barbie”.

What would you consider as your best experience Down Under?

The entire experience was a lot of fun. Whether it was spending an afternoon filming in a sailboat in Sydney or dancing with the aborigines or even throwing a boomerang in true Aussie style and trying to make sure it comes back – it was fun all the way!

Please describe a bit about their music culture?

There is no one or two names that we can refer to when it comes to Australian music. But the aborigines have a strange instrument called ‘didgeridoo’, a wind instrument made from the bark of a tree. While shooting for the series, I bought one and started to learn to play it. The TV programme shows my struggle with the same.

Which places did you cover for your food trail?

We went along the length and breadth of Australia – in and around Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne, Tasmania and many other places.

Were you inspired to culminate the Indian cuisine with Australian?

Of course I was, and I tried to do so. But there are also some of the finest Indian restaurants in Australia where chefs are already integrating the two cuisines in a wonderful way. For example, there’s the restaurant ‘Tonka’ in Melbourne, with an Indian chef from Goa.

Did you get to work with or meet some of the Australian chefs?

Yes, I met Matt, Gary and George from the famous Masterchef Australia series. There was another event I went to, where there were 80 top food personalities from across the world, including Heston Blumenthal present.

Where is the next stop for the ‘Out of the World’ series?

Next, it might be the Mediterranean.