Correspondent
ITANAGAR, Nov 1: In a bid to promote local cuisines, the tourism department on Friday organised a cooking competition (vegetarian) at the State Food Craft Institute (SFCI) here.
Thirteen participants took part in the cook-off, themed ‘Backyard biodiversity local vegetable and herbs’.
Tilek Perme, Teri Yajo and Yade Dujom secured the first, second and third prize, respectively, while consolation prizes were given to Nabam Neme Ngurang and Techi Nime.
Earlier, Tourism Assistant Director Bengia Manna Sonam exhorted the participants to “preserve the biodiversity and use local herbs sustainably for commercial purposes.”
She assured to provide more training to unemployed youths and make them well-equipped to run businesses of their own.
“We have enough natural resources to use in the eatery business. The only thing we need is to enhance our cooking skills in innovative ways,” Sonam said.
Arunachal Pradesh Tour Operators’ Association president John Panye said “women can also play a vital role in promoting tourism in the state by running homestays and restaurants.”
Stating that Arunachal is abundant in natural resources, he appealed to all to tap its natural resources for earning sustainable income.
“Tourists are looking for indigenous food and culture. It’s high time we tapped and marketed this potential properly,” said Panye.
Tourist Information Officer Duyir Yedi and SFCI consultant S Kar also spoke.
