India is all prepped for the upcoming G20 Summit 2023, to be held in New Delhi on 9-10 September. From government bodies to the national capital’s luxury hotels, everybody is gearing up to host global leaders and delegates during the G20 Summit which will attract the world’s eyes. Quite naturally, food is right at the centre of these preparations and news has been trickling in about how hotels, entrepreneurs and events organizers are shaping up to present everything India has to offer, whether it is millets or regional food.
A recent report suggests that as a part of these efforts to offer up the best foods India has, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has revealed that food safety and hygiene standards will be a main focus for the government body. The FSSAI, which held the G20 Global Food Regulators Summit as a part of the G20 Summit proceedings in July, has said that not only will it deputize two officers at every hotel hosting the G20 delegates but will also conduct lab tests on all ingredients used to create banquets, buffets and feasts at these hotels too.
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The FSSAI has also revealed that though usual food safety lab tests take around 15 days before results come back, these samples for the G20 Summit will be tested and the labs will provide safety certifications within two hours. Apart from testing everything from spices and oils to the freshness of vegetables, the FSSAI deputies will also keep a close watch on the kitchen and utensil hygiene to ensure the food safety of all G20 guests. What’s more, cooked food samples will also be collected and preserved in case they need to be tested later.
This apart, luxury hotels all over the national capital are curating special menus to cater to the G20 delegates, promising to offer the very best of vegetarian and regional Indian cuisines. Of course, as the team at Roseate Hotels & Resorts, New Delhi explained during a chat with Slurrp, the menu at their restaurants will be millet-forward and include some Old Delhi favourites in a new avatar.
“Aligning with our respected Prime Minister's declaration of 2023 as the Year of Millets, we've unveiled an exclusive millet section on our restaurant menu, celebrating indigenous produce and underscoring the health merits of millets,” the representative said. “As a gesture of welcome, our local Old Delhi delicacies receive a millet-infused makeover, enticing delegates with delicacies like Finger Millet Fennel Rusk, Sorghum and Fenugreek Mathi, Millet and Super Seed Ladoo, Finger Millet and Date Peda, and Pearl Millet Gulgule.”
Other reports suggest that the Taj Mahal Hotel, New Delhi will feature a special menu with 500 curated dishes which will not only feature millets but also fusion foods. Thali options that bring together a variety of typical Indian dishes are also being explored by the chefs at this hotel. Desserts prepared with millets like barley and ragi will also be showcased. A special Millets Thali will also be presented to US President Joe Biden when he arrives.
Similarly, a JW Marriott spokesperson also revealed that they will also offer specially curated Millet Thalis to the G20 delegates. Their menu will also feature regional Indian delicacies like Litti-Chokha, Dal Baati Chruma, Dal Tadka, Masala Dosa, Uttapam, Idli, Rosogolla, Jalebi and many more dishes. Clearly, all eyes will be on these delectable Indian options that the G20 delegates will get a taste of during the peak of the G20 Summit 2023.