The Journey of India – Flavours of India review: This gastronomical potpourri lacks punch

2/5

Story: Flavours of India has host and celebrity chef Vikas Khanna takes audiences across the length and breadth of the country to explore some of the finest flavours present in these regions. From the temple town of Udupi to the Kashmir valley, the series takes a look at some of the most famed culinary elements from these regions.

Review: The sheer number of home cooks who are immensely popular on the internet for their food vlogs is testimony that ‘cooking’ is a big deal. Take for instance all the ‘village cooking’ pages on social media, with a following in the hundreds of thousands. Food sells, even if you are only getting a visual experience, which is why Masterchef is such a big draw on TV. I digress too much, but am guessing you’ve figured what I am driving at.

The Journey of India: Flavours of India, which is streaming now on discovery+ takes us on a food trail across the country. There’s the Anna Brahma at the Krishna temple in Udupi, where 4-5 thousand people are fed every day. The Satvi food, which is first offered to the deity, includes at least 14 items, which is also what devotees receive. Then there’s Chef Thomas with God’s Own Spices in Munnar, Kerala. Akshaya Patra Foundation’s mid-day meal scheme for children, the vehicle for leftover tandoori chicken - butter chicken, which finds its origin in Delhi, Gujarat’s Farsan, Bengal’s Roshogolla, Akhuni from Nagaland, and the various meat preparations from Kashmir, among others.

Some of it is informative, but for the most part, the visuals and descriptions are more likely to give you massive cravings. Of course, since the preparations are not descriptive enough, you cannot replicate them, so, you’ll have to order it at the nearest speciality restaurant. This is also the biggest problem with Flavours of India. There’s so much bundled into this 50-minute episode, that no element gets its moment under the spotlight. The choice of cuisines to focus on could have been more judicious, especially when the episode dedicates a good amount of time on a mid-day meal scheme that feels like a PR exercise.

Verdict: Amitabh Bachchan provides the introductory note to the series, which serves no other purpose but to help the show draw on his star power. Which is also why the series was launched just ahead of his 80thbirthday earlier this week. The Journey of India – episode 2, about the flora and fauna of the country, drops on October 17. This one’s got Rana Daggubati at the helm of affairs. Hopefully, that will be a lot better.