A spice so readily available on our dining tables now, black pepper was once a highly precious commodity, having attracted traders and invaders to India who came with the sole intention of taking back with them this “black gold”. Tracing the origins and evolution of this spice, JW Marriott Chandigarh is organising a Black Pepper Food Festival, a unique exploration of the Tamil cuisine across the Sangam, Medieval and Contemporary eras of Tamil history. The festival will explore how, from being black pepper oriented in Sangam era, Tamil cuisine got infused with other spices, by outsiders who were attracted to India by this unique spice. To create an authentic experience, one which is steeped in history of black pepper and Tamil cuisine, renowned food historian and chef, Sridevi Balasubramanian popularly known as Shri Bala, an authority on Tamil cuisine, has been invited to curate the Black Pepper Food Festival. On the menu are dishes prepared with just black pepper as the spice, but offering a variety of flavours owing to use of other ancient ingredients and cooking techniques.

Source: Indian Express February 16, 2019 18:45 UTC