Today marked the beginning of the 9th International Chefs Conference in New Delhi, which was organized on by the Indian Federation of Culinary Association (IFCA) with support from the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. Kailash Choudhary, Minister of State (MoAFW), inaugurated the event's first day.
This year, the "Nutri-cereal" Millets has taken center stage at the three-day culinary event, featuring many seminars, live cooking demonstrations, masterclasses, expert panel discussions, and indulgence to celebrate the enthusiasm of the ongoing International Year of Millets 2023.
The UNGA declared 2023 as the "International Year of Millets" upon India's request. Over 70 nations supported the resolution that was sponsored by India. The Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare is in charge of the celebration on behalf of the Government of India.
In his inauguration speech, Kailash Choudhary promoted the expansion of millet's domestic and international consumption. He spoke about popularising regional millet-based dishes like "Bajre ki Kheech" in hotel menus and expressed appreciation for the chefs' community's efforts to restore the glory of millets. He emphasized how millet can meet people's needs for complete nourishment by recalling how the superfood sustained ancient Indian warriors. Later, with the help of chef Manjit Gill, President, IFCA, he also prepared a wonderful millet-based meal during an impromptu live cooking demonstration.
Choudhary said, ‘Millets’ were among the first crops to be domesticated in India with several evidence of its consumption during the Indus valley civilization. Being grown in more than 130 countries at present, Millet is considered traditional food for more than half a billion people across Asia and Africa. In India, millets are primarily a Kharif crop, requiring less water and agricultural inputs than other similar staples. Millets are important by virtue of their mammoth potential to generate livelihoods, increase farmers’ income and ensure food & nutritional security all over the world.
In order to solve the concerns of world hunger, Manoj Ahuja, Secretary of the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, who was also present at the occasion, emphasized the significance of millet to the world. The audience and participants were made aware of the initiatives and infrastructure being established by the Department to position India as the "Global Hub for Millets" during a presentation by Ms. Shubha Thakur, JS Crops (DA&FW). To make IYM 2023 a "People's Movement," the DA&FW has been operating in "mission mode" in line with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Indian Federation of Culinary Association's President, Chef Manjit Gill, welcomed the guests before the chefs and IFCA members served a "Millet March Past." Anthropologist Dr. Kurush F. Dalal delivered an interesting talk on the "History of Millets" in which he discussed how millets were one of the first crops to be domesticated in India and that evidence of its consumption dates back to the Indus Valley civilization.
The event's second half covered entrepreneurship opportunities with millets and looked at a variety of perspectives, including millets' diversity, ethnic specialties, processing & value addition, and business scope in general. A Corporate Chefs Panel discussed millets' nutritional value and future applications in the hospitality and catering sectors.
The 9th International Chefs Conference will discuss and showcase millets cuisines throughout the course of the next two days, as well as promote these nutri-cereals among the chef community to make them a preferred ingredient in all types of recipes, whether they be local, regional, or international.
