ITC Narmada Launches Edible Archives With Gujarat Flavours
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ITC Narmada, a Luxury Collection Hotel in Ahmedabad, is set to launch a unique monthly initiative at its signature vegetarian restaurant, Royal Vega. Titled Edible Archives, this immersive series invites patrons to savour a Sattvik thali while tasting a slice of history, literature, and storytelling.
ITC Hotels is globally recognised for promoting Indian culinary heritage while maintaining international luxury standards. This initiative is in line with the brand’s philosophy of “Responsible Luxury,” which focuses on sustainability, supporting local communities, and preserving traditional practices. Luxury hotels in India have increasingly been curating cultural and gastronomic experiences that merge food, storytelling, and heritage to offer guests more than just a meal.
The curated experience will bring together culinary heritage and cultural narratives through a thoughtfully designed programme hosted once every month. The inaugural session of the series will be themed around Paryushan, one of the most significant spiritual observances among the Jain community of Gujarat.
Paryushan is an eight-day Jain festival emphasising fasting, meditation, and forgiveness. Traditionally, it influences the type of food consumed, focusing on Sattvik and vegetarian preparations. Highlighting Paryushan in this culinary series connects guests to both spiritual and gastronomic traditions, making the dining experience meaningful and culturally immersive.
Facilitated by food historians Tana Trivedi and Love Joshi and titled Flavours of Gujarat: A Culinary Journey Through History, the one-hour experience will take guests on a discovery of Gujarat’s timeless food traditions, blending guided tastings, storytelling, and interactive activities. Food historians play a critical role in uncovering lost recipes, understanding ingredient evolution, and tracing how historical trade routes shaped local cuisine. Their insights ensure that each dish served becomes a story on its own.
Designed for food enthusiasts, students of culture, and community members, the session aims to help participants rediscover the state’s diverse culinary legacies. Gujarat is known for its rich vegetarian cuisine that ranges from everyday staples like khichdi and dal to festive delicacies such as undhiyu and shrikhand. By presenting these dishes alongside historical narratives, ITC Narmada ensures that guests experience both taste and culture simultaneously.
The programme will explore Gujarat’s food heritage through the influences of ancient trade, Jain vegetarian traditions, and colonial history. Gujarat’s strategic position on India’s western coast historically made it a hub for spice trade and cultural exchanges. This diversity is reflected in its culinary landscape, where flavours from different regions, communities, and eras converge, making it a perfect topic for a heritage-focused dining experience.
Guests will savour a curated thali featuring everyday staples, festive delicacies, and modern street foods, each paired with stories of their origins. Interactive elements such as storytelling circles, food memory sharing, and playful games will further deepen the engagement, making the afternoon as much about conversation and memory as it is about taste and aroma. Modern culinary experiences are increasingly combining interactive elements to make dining experiential, creating emotional and educational connections with food.
Edible Archives celebrates India’s culinary diversity by pairing timeless vegetarian traditions with cultural narratives. As part of this initiative, Royal Vega will host a thematic session every month that will not only showcase regional cuisines but also highlight the stories, rituals, and histories that make them special. Culinary storytelling has become a global trend, helping guests understand the journey of ingredients, techniques, and recipes across centuries.
Each subsequent edition will highlight a different facet of India’s culinary culture, guided by seasonal ingredients, regional histories, and local storytelling traditions. By curating these sessions, ITC Narmada promotes sustainable, mindful eating while preserving culinary heritage for future generations.
In doing so, Edible Archives becomes more than just a dining experience; it is a cultural journey that praises the living heritage of Gujarat and India. Rooted in ITC Hotels’ philosophy of Responsible Luxury, the series is yet another initiative to celebrate indigenous cuisines, promote local culture, and preserve age-old culinary wisdom. By curating mindful gastronomic journeys, ITC Narmada not only brings the richness of regional thalis to the fore but also honours the communities, traditions, and environments that sustain them.
ITC Narmada invites patrons to participate in the inaugural session of Edible Archives on Sunday, August 24, 12.30 pm to 1.30 pm, at Royal Vega, ITC Narmada, Ahmedabad. The session will take guests through Gujarat’s culinary traditions and let them rediscover food as a living archive of culture, migration, memory, and celebration. Prior reservations are highly encouraged.
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