Perfect palate

From pate to prawns, French bread to fudge, pork dumplings and desserts; there were foods for every letter of the alphabet and flavours for every fancy, says Kate Pierson at the food show in Christchurch last weekend…

The Food Show, Christchurch Westpac Arena, 26-28 March 2010

It’s hard to say what struck my senses the most. It may have been the atmosphere, the blended aroma of complementary spices or the full bodied wine which led me in pursuit of compatible dishes.

I took a deep breath as I entered the Food Show at Christchurch’s Westpac arena and let the busyness wash over me; the busy crowd, the busy stalls and the busy flavours permeating the air. I came prepared; an empty stomach and a large appetite for culinary culture.

Developing a sense of direction to navigate through the hungry crowds at the show was impossible, as the lure of different stalls drew me in their direction. From pate to prawns, French bread to fudge, pork dumplings and desserts; there were foods for every letter of the alphabet and flavours for every fancy.

Verkerks Continental Smallgoods, Aunty Dai Asian Cuisine and Santa Rosa were all mouth magnets. But my favourite, was a trip down Silk Road. Beckoned by the rich aroma of India, I let the flavours linger on my palate for as long as possible. They say its quality not quantity and at the Silk Road stand, that adage was more than applicable. Because despite the small portions, it only took one bite for my senses to be stirred.

I wasn’t fluent in wine language prior to my arrival, but with a wine glass as a permanent fixture in my hand, I perfected my viticultural patois as wine connoisseurs at wine stands tempted my palate with rich Pinot Noir and Oak Chardonnay, all the while educating me on the harvesting processes. It was a schooling of mind and taste buds.

Food show explorers were invited to take the ingredients home for their own interpretation. And the final cherry on top was the prices attached to these ingredients. It was gourmet food with Sunday market prices.

And with an enriched mind and palate, I retired home for an afternoon siesta intoxicated by the flavours of foods with an international accent, already anticipating next year’s festival of food.

By Kate Pierson, March 2010.