The Culinary Lounge Launches Kakatiya à la Française Initiative In Hyderabad

HYDERABAD — The Culinary Lounge has launched 'Kakatiya à la Française', a unique culinary and cultural initiative in Hyderabad that reinterprets Telangana's traditional food heritage through French gastronomy. The project aims to establish a distinctive global identity for the state's culinary history and celebrate the historical ties between France and Telangana before the showcase travels to Europe.

As the opening chapter of a larger "Telangana to the world, beginning with Europe" initiative, the project features a six-course French menu inspired entirely by Telangana's regional ingredients, flavours, and cooking techniques. Chef, author, and food storyteller Chef Michael Swamy created the menu to introduce regional Deccani flavours to a broader international audience.

During a preview event, guests were presented with dishes that combined local ingredients with French culinary formats. The cheese course featured traditional Telangana items such as Chekkalu, Pindi Vadiyalu, sago papadums, and locally made savoury crisps served alongside French cheeses, fresh figs, and mangoes. This course was accompanied by a red pepper, walnut, and chilli dip, as well as a mahua chilli jam.

Other featured items in the tasting menu included Mustard-marinated Fish Fingers inspired by Uppava, Smoked Gongura Chicken Pâté, and Mushroom Vol-au-Vent.

Gopi Byluppala, founder and CEO of The Culinary Lounge, stated that while the world recognizes Telangana for its IT industry, the initiative aims to bring the region's thousand-year-old Kakatiya culinary tradition to the global stage.

In addition to the food showcase, the launch event marked the opening of the Zishta Experience Centre by Meera Ramakrishnan, which features handcrafted traditional Indian cookware made of copper, brass, tin, and stone. Senior artist Laxman Aelay also presented a special showcase of Poolamma artworks to add a visual storytelling dimension to the event.

The 'Kakatiya à la Française' initiative will continue in Hyderabad until June 27, featuring a series of workshops, cultural interactions, and curated dining experiences before transitioning to its European leg.