Goemkarponn desk
Panaji: With the humble cashew taking centre-stage at the recently concluded second edition of the Cashew Fest Goa 2024 Season 2, students of Kamaxi College of Culinary Arts (KCCA) and Kamaxi Skills, the Verna-based Group’s skill development initiative, showcased their culinary prowess in crafting innovative savoury and pastry menus featuring the multi-dimensional tropical fruit, including a unique cashew-based sorpotel.
Displaying their culinary innovation skills through two stalls – one focused on the savoury or hot kitchen and the other on the dessert or cold kitchen – managed by FIERCE Kitchens, Kamaxi Group’s culinary incubator fostering entrepreneurship in the food and beverage industry, the culinary students, as well as other culinary entrepreneurs, integrated the cashew, from the fruit to the nut, into their dishes in diverse ways.
“Our students have emphasised utilising the cashew fruit to concoct different dishes and drinks. Our Maître Cuisinier or Master Chef, Chef Patrick Albert, encourages students to innovate in the culinary space to hone their skills, which was showcased at the Cashew Fest Goa 2024 Season 2,” said Parixit Pai Fondekar, founder, Kamaxi Group.
Fondekar added that the aim of this endeavour was “to empower our students with the confidence and skill set to set up entrepreneurial ventures in the competitive culinary world, and our participation via FIERCE Kitchens in the Cashew Fest Goa 2024 Season 2 offered them a platform to cultivate their business instinct by observing other culinary entrepreneurs showcase their product.”
The savoury menu comprised a bread bowl with customisable fillings of dry shrimp with cashew chicken and cashew as well as cashew fruit sorpotel prepared under the guidance of Chef Patrick.
Curated by the Bakery & Pastry faculty at KCCA, the pastry menu was crafted utilising the cashew apple and cashew nut in different iterations to create delicious desserts.
“Our participation in the Cashew Fest Goa 2024 Season 2 allowed us to experience the A to Z of culinary entrepreneurship, right from creating our own innovative cashew-based menus and executing them under the guidance of our faculty chefs to customer interactions,” said Shania Lobo, a student at KCCA.
The stalls were functional throughout the festival’s three-day duration and were thronged by visitors, an encouraging factor for the KCCA and Kamaxi Skills students.
