SHILLONG: From a bird made of sweet potato to a nest of noodles, the Rilbong Food Festival on Saturday drew some of the best cooks, who not only displayed their culinary skills, but also their creative side in making art out of food.
There were over 200 participants in different categories that included mutton dishes, chicken and pork delicacies, fish curries and even dry fish in the non vegetarian category. There was also the vegetarian category and adding to this was the “live” cooking contest where participants cooked in the festival.
This popular food festival in Rilbong is being held after a gap of 14 years. The festival was open to only women contestants.
The food festival was organised by the Rilbong Sports and Cultural Club as part of its ongoing Diamond Jubilee celebrations.
Apart from the regular contest, there were various other contests which involved visitors to identify different Indian spices, answer a questionnaire on table manners, identify Indian Thalis and a general questionnaire on different aspects of food.
Some of the participants came out with extraordinary displays that included a mutton keema dish made in the shape of a fish. Sitting next to the dish were some birds made out of sweet potato and the nest made with noodles and eggs made out of potatoes.
“The potatoes, noodles and sweet potato were boiled and given the shape of the nest. The potatoes were cut and a cavity was built and masalas (spices) used in the mutton keema dish were put in for the judges to see,” Pratima Deb Roy, one of the participants who won a special prize, said.
On the other hand, Jhuma Das, who won the second prize in dry fish category, made a Barbie doll dress with the dry fish chutney complete with frills. She said she used small silvery dry fish to make the Barbie doll frills and added red chillies to give design and colour to it.
Mamata Ghosh, who won the first prize in the chicken dish category, made chicken tikka with tender coconut. “I am so happy I have worked till 2 am for this dish. I was exhausted, but I am full of energy now,” she said.
Ghosh’s mother-in-law, Runu Ghosh bagged a special prize in the dry fish category. “There were five contestants from the family just one of them missed out. All others won,” one of the family members said.
J Rani won the first prize in the “live” cooking category. Apart from winning a cash award of Rs 5,000 she also won an additional cash prize of Rs. 5000 from the sponsors. Participants who received the first prize each got a cash prize of Rs. 5000 and other gifts.
The second prize winners received Rs. 3000.
In the non competitive categories prizes that were handed out included microwave ovens and utensils.
Earlier, former Home Minister RG Lyngdoh inaugurated the food festival in the morning. Judges included people from various walks of life that included bureaucrats, doctors, socialites and others.
Former Education minister Manas Chaudhuri, one of the conveners of the festival, said the event is a tribute to Shillong which does have a wide array of dishes and the people in the State capital love food.
