Bhubaneswar : The Odisha Millets Mission (OMM), in partnership with the Institute of Hotel Management (IHM) Bhubaneswar, recently organised a two-day millet recipe training programme for chefs from various hotels across Odisha. The event took place from the 7th to the 8th of August 2023. A total of 35 chefs and food & beverage executives from approximately 20 hotels participated in this training. Among the participants were chefs from esteemed hotels including Taj Vivanta, WelcomHotel By ITC, Empires, Swosti, Mayfair, The New Marrion, Hotel Barjorjis and Hotel Pal Heights.
The inaugural session commenced with a warm welcome from Ms. Sharada Ghosh, Principal of the Institute of Hotel Management. She introduced the training programme, which focused on preparing millet-based recipes, as a joint effort between the Odisha Millets Mission and IHM Bhubaneswar. Ms. Ghosh praised the collaborative efforts of both the central and state governments in promoting millets among both urban and rural populations.

Gaurav Kumar, a chef from IHM Bhubaneswar, served as the master trainer for the millet recipe training. He emphasised the significance of incorporating millets into hotel menus. Kumar encouraged the chefs to attend the training with a research and development mindset, aiming to integrate millets into their own signature recipes. He elaborated on the numerous health benefits associated with various types of millets and stressed that millets are currently a health trend that the hospitality sector should embrace to maximise its potential. He further noted that millets can be utilised to create a wide array of dishes, provided they are made both palatable and visually appealing.
On the occasion, an official from the Odisha Millets Mission delivered a brief presentation on the mission’s journey and explained how hotels and restaurants can actively contribute following the training. The official revealed that the series of training programmes being held will culminate in the International Convention on Millets, scheduled for November this year. He said the celebration of the International Year of Millets within Odisha’s hotels would encompass diverse activities, such as menu inclusion, display of informative materials, and food festivals. These initiatives were discussed in alignment with meeting held between the Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment, Government of Odisha, and the Hotels & Restaurants Association of Odisha (HRAO), he added.

Throughout the training, chefs received details on various millet types, sourcing millet raw materials, kitchen hygiene and safety practices, and diverse millet-based recipes with a focus on breakfast and bakery items. In addition to recipe training, the programme featured interactive sessions and open discussions to ensure its success. Upon its conclusion, resource materials and leaflets containing information about the Odisha Millets Mission were distributed among participants. The enthusiastic participation of the chefs demonstrated their eagerness to engage in future training opportunities and promote millets within their respective hotels.