Surf television channels, at any point of the day, and somewhere, someone or the other will be wielding the ladle and churning out mouth-watering dishes.
From the early days of satellite channels, when cookery shows were telecast once a week, to present times, food shows are becoming increasingly savvier. As the cooking craze has caught on among children too, many cookery show hosts have now become celebrities.
Culinary shows open doors and windows to other cultures. For those not satisfied with hour-long shows in regional languages, there is a 24-hour food and lifestyle channel in Hindi, Food Food, a venture of popular chef Sanjeev Kapoor.
K. Damodaran, popularly known as Chef Damu, who has been juggling various television channels for the past 14 years, says audiences for culinary programmes now include techies and newly weds.
“Food is the new form of entertainment. From paruppu urundai kozhambu to panna cotta, a variety of dishes have made appearances on culinary shows, enriching viewers’ knowledge. Once exotic dishes, made with foreign ingredients, are now easily prepared in home kitchens,” says Chef Damu who is popular for his home-style cooking.
Innovation is key to the success of these shows. Some channels have a concoction of history and food and some opt for food and travel.
H. Gopinath, brand manager of Makkal TV, says culinary shows top the priority of viewers.
“We come up with diverse concepts to stand apart from others. From searching for authentic recipes from restaurants and temples to introducing international cuisines, our search for different concepts continues,” he says.
