The rich and verdant land brings forth vegetables that are lush are fruits that brim over with beneficial properties and are therefore from a large part of Orissan diet. Rice drawn from the emerald paddy fields in sun-drenched valleys finds its way to the table – sweet smelling and delicious.With the religious leanings of the state, meat consumption its relatively low, though most hotels and restaurants have it on their menus. PIC1
What is rich and plentiful is the diverse selection of seafood, with crabs and lobsters steeped in the ever present ingredients of – Orissan cuisine – curd (yoghurt) and coconut milk. The curd here is rich and creamy and gives the succulent flesh an additional flavour. It is not only the seafood which is traditionally cooked in curd and coconut milk but also yams, brinjals and pumpkins are liberally used in curd with mustard seeds giving the whole preparations that extra zing. PIC1
Small cakes, or ‘pithas’ which are both sweet and savory are extremely popular in Orissa. Chhenapodapitha, the caramelized custard-like dessert is popular not only with the locals but also with the tourists. PIC1
Another traditional must is the tasting of the ‘Mahaprasad’ or
the sacred food offered as ‘Bhog’ to Lord Jagannath. Available at
the Anand Bazar of the Jagannath Temple, your hotel can help you procure it
quire easily. The temple
kitchen is believed to be the largest kitchen in the world. Created on a cooking
facility which is highly efficient despite its age, 400 ‘supkars’(cooks)
work around 200 hearths daily to feed over 10,000 people.
