Food Fair offers visitors dazzling culinary displays

NEW DELHI: A dancing image of Lord Nataraja in quite common in India but what if it is made completely out of solid chocolate? Or you might have come across an artist painting his muse on canvas but have you seen all three in a lifelike confectionery sculpture?

These "too-good-to-eat" handcrafted and whimsical displays fashioned out of flour, sugar, coca, chocolate and other such bakery items are some of the towering displays at the Culinary India Art Fair 2014 here.

Over 250 chefs, including those from abroad as well as apprentices are participating in a series of live and display based culinary competitions at the Fair.

"A platform is provided to both professionals and student chefs to prepare them for the highest level, to encourage them further and to inspire them to do their best," says Davinder Kumar, President of Indian Culinary Forum, which is hosting the five-day event, now in its ninth edition.

For Deepshika Dey, a student who visited the Fair on its second day more than the exquisitely carved vegetables and fruits that some participants had put up or the butter or margarine sculptures expected for line up in a day or two, she was interested in the artistic pastry showpiece.

"Its an exciting experience for me, to see the details of cake-making and the small little tricks they use to save time or enhance a certain feature of the cake," Deepshika said.

The event is organised in collaboration with India Trade Promotion Organisation ( ITPO).