If there is an example of heart-warming admiration for Indian food from a foreign personality – the Japanese Ambassador to India, Hiroshi Suzuki earns the first place. After he enjoyed delightful meals of Lucknowi biryani and Puneri delicacies of vada pav and misal pav along with his wife, earlier this year, a new video posted on X shows him heaping praise for a Naga meal cooked by chef Joel Basumatari. The video, where he congratulates the chef for putting North Eastern cuisine on the global map, went viral, earning Suzuki the label of being ‘India’s Culinary Amabassador’ from the netizens.
The video shared by him on his official account, shows the ambassador and his wife seated at a table with a plate of what looks like grilled meat, braised greens and rice; and the chef standing right behind the duo, posing with a smile. Suzuki captioned the video saying, “Enjoyed wonderful dinner prepared by Nagaland’s star chef Mr. Joel Basumatari. Chef Joel promotes North Eastern cuisine around the world. Wish him great success in the future!” The ambassador’s open admiration for the diverse Indian cuisines he has had the chance to try throughout the year, has earned him plenty of appreciation from Indians, who believe that his way of promoting the cuisines has been a proud moment for Indian food.
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Not one to shy away from unique culinary experiences that are a true reflection of the local culture, Suzuki also declared himself as an Indian citizen after having the chance to experience aloo tikki chaat on the streets of Sarojini Market in Delhi. This fan moment for Indian food did not go unnoticed, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked him to ‘keep it coming!’, encouraging Suzuki to enjoy his spree and continue to feast on delicious food.