New Delhi, India: At a summit where leaders and delegates will gather to discuss global cooperation, development and diplomacy, some of the most meaningful conversations may begin not in conference rooms but around the dining table. As New Delhi gets ready to host the 18th BRICS Summit on September 12-13, the Taj Mahal, New Delhi, has been preparing a culinary experience designed to introduce international delegates to India's rich food heritage while making them feel at home.

At the centre of these preparations is Executive Chef Kaushik Misra, who has overseen months of research and planning to curate menus that bring together India's regional flavours, familiar comfort foods and culinary references from the participating countries. For Misra, the exercise is not simply about putting together an elaborate spread. It is about using food as a language of friendship, one that can introduce visitors to India's spices, herbs, flowers, regional traditions and home-style flavours while also acknowledging their own culinary preferences.

“The legacy continues for 48 years. We have curated various culinary concepts for the guests who have arrived and are starting to arrive. It has been conceptualised keeping in mind various flavours of our own country: the spices, the herbs, the flowers," he told ANI.

"With a combination of what it is that the delegates would have as comfort meals in their homes, it’s called an ‘India Friendship Menu’ that we have created for in-room dining. This features dishes which are classics of Delhi and the whole of India. We also have Nalli Nihari, pepper fry with almonds and others," he added.  The chef noted that they have also conceptualised multiple amenities which take inspiration from the Lotus in certain delegate countries, Orchids and others. 

“These are the ingredients that are taken into consideration to be able to create those lovely curated forms in terms of pralines, mithais, and savouries. We have created a map of India that talks about various capitals and states of India. Each region has its own specific local savouries, like moroccos, kaju mithai. This is being done to educate the delegates on what is available across India. We have also written a concept note explaining each and everything and why we got certain things in place, bringing this warm, curated menu”.  He added that the team did "3-6 months of research" to curate the menu.

"We have done a lot of studies on what each and everyone’s likes and dislikes are, so the delegates can enjoy. It’s been a lot of work by the team, and we have put together everything in a very extensive format so flavours, Indian and theirs, can be experienced here. I am very excited, and we are very confident that we can definitely be able to create memories. We have also provided the recipe book to the delegates, which contains chef-curated recipes…so that they can take it with them," he said.

He said ‘India Friendship Menu’ has been conceptualised specifically for in-room dining, bringing together classics associated with Delhi and different parts of India. 

Among the dishes mentioned by Misra are Nalli Nihari and pepper fry with almonds, alongside other curated offerings. But the culinary experience extends beyond the main menu. The hotel has incorporated flowers and ingredients as sources of inspiration, including the lotus and orchids, and transformed these references into curated pralines, mithais and savouries. The intention is to make the food presentation itself part of the larger experience, allowing delegates to encounter Indian ingredients and aesthetics in different forms," he said.

The chef added, "One of the more distinctive elements is a culinary map of India, designed to introduce delegates to the country's geographical and gastronomic diversity. The concept brings together references to different capitals and states, with regional savouries representing the distinct food traditions found across the country." Chef Misra said the initiative also seeks to educate visitors about India's culinary landscape. 

"Alongside the food, a concept note has been prepared to explain the thinking behind the offerings and the significance of the ingredients and preparations selected for the summit. That attention to detail has required months of preparation. Misra said the team spent between three and six months researching the preferences of delegates, including their likes and dislikes, before putting together the final experience," he said.

The 18th BRICS Summit is being held under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”, with development, sustainability and innovation forming key areas of focus. BRICS has emerged as an important platform for coordination among major emerging economies and for advancing the interests of the Global South in multilateral institutions. Its agenda spans development, finance, technology, trade and people-to-people exchanges.

The grouping currently comprises 11 countries: Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the UAE. Collectively, its members account for around 49.5 per cent of the global population, 40 per cent of global GDP and 26 per cent of global trade.

Amid the setting, the kitchen at one of New Delhi's landmark hotels has taken on an elaborate role: translating India's identity into food. Misra's culinary preparations reflect an approach that goes beyond serving delegates a conventional selection of Indian dishes. By combining regional specialities with flavours familiar to international guests, the menu attempts to create a sense of comfort while simultaneously offering a glimpse into the breadth of India's food culture.

And perhaps the most personal touch comes in the form of a recipe book being presented to the delegates. According to Misra, it contains chef-curated recipes of their mothers, a keepsake intended to travel home with them after the summit. In a gathering shaped by discussions on cooperation among nations, the gesture adds an intimate dimension to the idea of cultural exchange.

The recipe book, much like the ‘India Friendship Menu’, turns food into something more than hospitality: a memory, a conversation starter and a way of carrying a piece of the experience beyond the summit. (ANI)