Climate change is at the core of an ocean-fused Japanese whisky as well as the cuisine of a Parisian fine-dining restaurant. The beauty of the natural world gets a leg-up with International Dark Sky Week, which encourages amateur astronomers and travellers to constellation-gaze. Also on our radar: Rolex’s six new watches and the well-researched Bloomsbury Handbook of Indian Cuisine.
International Dark Sky Week (IDSW), from April 15-22, celebrates not just the art of amateur astronomy but also promotes dark sky tourism. In India, travel entrepreneurs and the government have set up infrastructure for Dark Sky tourism. At India’s only Dark Sky Reserve, Hanle Dark Sky Reserve in Ladakh, the minimal use of artificial light in villages around would mean the night sky, at this time of the year, will be the brightest. Local communities from the six hamlets of Bhok, Shado, Punguk, Khuldo, Naga and Tibetan Refugee cluster within Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary, which form Hanle, will share their traditional knowledge of the night sky and the constellations which were bestowed on them by their ancestors.
During the week, at Mukhteshwar’s Stargate Observatory, Starscapes (an Astro tourism company and member of the International Dark Sky Network), will host night sky reading sessions, and guide enthusiasts on how to identify the various stars and objects in the sky.
At Starscape observatories at Kasauni and Bhimtal near Nainital, an hour-long ‘show’ will introduce travellers to stars and constellations, and talk about their origins and the science behind them.
At Watches & Wonders 2023, Rolex unveiled six new watches as a tribute to the iconic Rolex Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona, which turns 60 this year. The Oyster Perpetual 31, Oyster Perpetual 36 and Oyster Perpetual 41 are all about dial decoration. The motif encapsulates the vivid colours of the lacquered dials introduced in 2020, candy pink, turquoise blue, yellow, coral red and green.
Oyster Perpetual GMT‑Master II has been released in two versions and decked in 18-carat yellow gold. Both new watches feature a bezel with a two-colour Cerachrom insert in grey and black ceramic. The Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona also sports a new look. The case and face of the timepiece have been restyled, and its new movement, calibre 4131, incorporates several innovations and features bridges decorated with Rolex Côtes de Genève finishing.
The nautical Oyster Perpetual Yacht‑Master 42 is introduced in RLX titanium, a strong but lightweight alloy, and is fitted on an Oyster bracelet. This new version combines polished, high-sheen and technical satin finishes. All watches are priced Rs 2 lakh upwards.
Touted as the world’s first ocean-fused Japanese whisky, Umiki has already won Gold at the World Spirits Award. The distillers have blended desalinated ocean water from the Pacific Ocean drawn from 200 metres deep, where no sunlight penetrates, with Japanese malt whiskies that are made in distilleries located by the ocean side with flavour profiles that reflect the terroir. Umiki is then matured in barrels crafted from pine grown in Japan, which are known as Matsu. The whisky is said to smell of sea breeze and has a rounded seaweed and floral palate.
French chef Thierry Marx, whose restaurant Sur Mesure par Thierry Marx has won two Michelin stars, just opened a new restaurant within the Eiffel Tower. Besides vertiginous views, Madame Brasserie showcases a climate-friendly cuisine. The cuisine, says Marx, “reflects the times we live in: it is sustainable, local and responsible”. In a world transformed by climate change, he uses ingredients that are hardy, likely to survive various natural disasters, and grown within the Paris region.
On the menu are roasted baby leeks served with herb oil and orange vinaigrette. There is also Cannelloni with butternut squash and spinach. There is lightly grilled sea bass (sea bass can survive temperature increase in the ocean far better than other species) with cauliflower and grilled hazelnuts, and there is free-range chicken breast served with celery mousseline sauce, truffle and orange juice.
Cauliflowers and leeks, the vegetables that dominate the menu, are delivered from the Paris ring road on a bicycle. Chef Marx’s crew cooks on induction cookers with copper casseroles, which only heat the pan instead of warming up the entire kitchen.
Author and food writer Sourish Bhattacharya and Colleen Taylor Sen’s years of backbreaking work have led to a complex handbook of cuisines and foodways of India in all their diversity. The handbook spans several regions, personalities, street foods and communities.
The first essay in the book, called ‘The Great Indian Table’, explores the geography, history and agriculture that have defined Indian cuisine. What follows are neatly catalogued alphabetically organised entries, each between 150 and 1,500 words long, that combine facts with history, anecdotes and legends. There are longer entries on regional cuisines, spice mixtures, food and medicine, rites of passage, cooking methods, rice, sweets, tea, drinks (alcoholic and soft) and the Indian diaspora! The volume captures the culture, beauty and history of Indian cuisine.
