Ever thought that whatever you eat could have an direct impact on your mood. Yes ! you read right and keeping the same concept in mind Himanshu Taneja, Culinary Director, South Asia, Marriott International has designed Mood Diets 2.0 that is inspired from the flavours of India and aligned to the global trend of sustainability. In his twenty years of experience in the industry he has always evolved.
Playing with the principles of Sustainability he has designed Mood Diets 2.0 that is inspired from the flavours of India and aligned to the global trend of sustainability. To make Mood Diets 2.0 menu a true reflection of the diverse flavours and authentic cooking styles from across India, Marriott International has come up with the idea to make a crowd sourced menu
Mood Diet- Why did you think of coming up with something like this?
The Mood Diets concept was born from the pandemic as everyone was cooped up at home which led to a distinct shift in eating and sleeping schedules. Consumers who were working from home were constantly looking for eating options to explore. This was where a constant barrage of customer reassurance became essential as the second wave was going through varied delivery options and takeaways. The continued work from home scenario, made the relationship between mood and the right intake of food come alive with sufficient vigor. The idea behind the ‘Mood Diets’ menu was to meet the nutrient requirements of consumers while simultaneously meeting the unconscious food cravings that emerged from fluctuating temperaments
Committed to serving innovative and scrumptious delicacies across its properties, Marriott International is introducing the ‘Mood Diets 2.0’ menu which is designed to meet the nutrient requirements of guests with a vegan touch to all the dishes, curated from natural, plant-based meats.
Ayurveda clearly mentions about seasons, mood, and food. How much inspiration have you taken from there?
This is not inspired from Ayurveda, but overall Indian food has a lot to do with ingredients that we use in Ayurveda. Many of those ingredients are part of our recipes such as camphor, turmeric and a few flavoured spices.
Can you elaborate on the crowdsourced menu?
The new Mood Diet 2.0 menu will be co-created by crowdsourcing authentic recipes via a contest that will be hosted across 15 cities. The recipes will need to be vegan-based, simple, and fuss-free preparations using one or more of a select 10 organic ingredients. The crowdsourced format will create engagement and build excitement for people to follow and take part in a contest, while trying their hands at something new and creative. The shortlisted ingredients include Amaranth, Lotus Stem, Jackfruit, Gooseberry /Awala, Gondhoraj Lebu, Foxtail millet, Colocasia, Nolen Gurh, and Kokam. The top 3 recipes will be featured in the upcoming Mood Diets 2.0 menu that will be introduced by the end of the year. The menu will be avaible for order on our food delivery platform Marriott Bonvoy on Wheels.
Merging Mood Diets with Sustainability- What special care has gone into ideating this concept
Sustainability is a responsible conversation across the world that clearly emphasizes the importance of safeguarding our ecosystem for future generations. While creating this concept we were absolutely clear that we want to contribute and support the environment through a plant-based diet that is reliable and consistent. The menu is designed to meet the nutrient requirements of guests with a vegan touch to ensure that food consumption is healthy and not limited. The ingredients chosen for the competition are local and cater to a healthier lifestyle. The rationale behind using local ingredients was to upscale local appetite that is tasty, fresh, and of course vigorous. We at Marriott International are doing a lot of work around sustainability and a plant-based diet is a very small contribution towards our Serve 360 programme that is our commitment to creating a positive and sustainable impact on this planet.
What next creative concepts in the pipeline?
Currently, Mood Diets is the biggest creative concept that will go on for another few months. In 2022, multiple things are in pipeline around sustainability. We are going to have plant-based menus as a framework on our buffets and ala carte. We are also using indigenous ingredients to reduce the carbon footprints and growing and using local vegetables and fruits which will elevate the seasonal food storytelling.