Madras on a Table Showcases City's Diverse Culinary Traditions

The Sunday Supper Club and heritage organization Madras Inherited partnered to present "Madras on a Table," a special dining initiative highlighting the diverse culinary traditions of various communities across Madras for this year's Madras Day celebrations.

Hosted across two Saturdays, on August 22 and August 29, the collaborative dining event offered a curated menu exploring food practices from communities that have shaped the city over centuries. The event was priced at Rs 1,500 per person.

The project was conceptualized by Olivia Daniel, who runs The Sunday Supper Club, alongside Ashmitha Athreya, head of operations, trustee, and lead storyteller at Madras Inherited. Rather than focusing solely on common staples like filter coffee, biryani, or standard meals, the team conducted research into recipes preserved within families, neighbourhood eateries, and historical archives.

The resulting menu represented a map of the city's multicultural past, incorporating Anglo-Indian, Telugu, and Armenian culinary traditions. Featured items included Armenian ghata, a traditional pastry prepared by only a handful of Armenian families in Chennai, alongside bone broth served with pav, fermented rice paired with meen kulambu, vadiyalu, Madras Elixir, and betel leaf.

According to Daniel, the research underscored that authenticity in food is multifaceted, as recipes naturally evolve across households and generations. The organizers aimed to encourage diners to experience these lesser-known food narratives and recreate the recipes at home to keep the city's shared traditions alive.

Athreya explained that food serves as an intimate medium to understand urban history and migration, noting that the diverse menu reflects how Madras has historically welcomed and integrated varied culinary habits from different communities.