Authenticating the palate

Keeping the growing interest in cooking in mind, famed chefs speak of the necessity of a culinary school in Pakistan

KARACHI:

More people than ever are now chasing the a dream of running a kitchen or flipping an omelette immaculately on television. The awareness of having a professionally-run culinary school in Pakistan has swelled in recent years. A profession, previously associated with famously low wages, is now developing into a profitable and admirable career. The belief is that cooking is no longer just about making food to eat; it’s about combining food safety, technical skills, and artistry to craft things that gratify the body, mind, and soul.

The country calls for a culinary institution. An abode that permits individuals to comprehend the science of cooking, the history of cuisines and enlighten students with new techniques and developments within the field.

“It’s about time, we should have one. This kind of education has to be appreciated; people go outside the country and earn the degree for pleasure or for the sake of owning a restaurant. It’s high time we have a school right here at home,” says prominent celebrity Chef Zakir .

According to Chef Shai, who herself is a certified chef from the Blue Ribbon Institute of Culinary Education in the US, the formation of a culinary school in Pakistan has been delayed for quite long now. “Obviously we need one. The contestants in cooking shows don’t have exposure to cooking schools or food aesthetics. It’s a great career for budding girls and women in this field.”



She remarks on the cooking show hosts and celebrity chefs, saying that to date, not a single person who is professionally trained in this field has made it to the TV screen in Pakistan. “They’re either from a local hotel or their credentials only include skills based on classes they learnt basic cooking from, but honestly other things need to be explored. Most people have no idea about the basic core of cooking; people are generally clueless in here.”



For the past many years, local hotels in Karachi have been granting diplomas in the art of cooking and baking but for Chef Mehboob Khan, the trend of culinary schools should start from the capital city.

“Priority must be given to Islamabad, not only because people from Punjab will duly benefit, but the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa residents too will learn the tricks of the trade,” says Khan. “Till today, the only valid coursework available is the one being taught in diploma courses at local hotels in Karachi because of which there is certainly a void that needs to be filled.”



He is strongly against the idea of a Government sponsored institution and suggests that only private individuals and private competition can market the scope ahead. “We need to have a good standard of kitchens and better teachers to train the new generation. “This will surely allow competition to grow, and will help formulate better understanding of this dichotomy, for as of today, not many people are categorised as credible in the field.”

Shai, on the other hand recommends a balance between theory and practice. “They should know the history of a specific cuisine, but they should even be taught how to make dough from scratch in the school kitchen.”

Published in The Express Tribune, October 25^th, 2014.

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