Chef Vittorio Castellani -- also known as Chef Kumale -- embraces Italian cuisine like no other. He started off his career as a food writer and a journalist in the print industry. As the tech world advanced, he also shifted his focus onto social media and continued to pursue his passion by reading, writing and passing on all his food knowledge onto different people. 

In the recent past, Chef Kumale has adopted a profound love for international cuisine. He has and continues to travel to various countries to learn about their local cuisines and bring them back to Italy with all the knowledge gathered. 

Out of the countries visited, Chef Kumale had the opportunity to experience Pakistani’s authentic cuisine this November. His visit to Karachi entailed a schedule packed with a mix of food, history and culture; excursions to Pakistan’s oldest sites, visiting some of the oldest spice markets, tasting the unique flavours offered by some of Karachi’s renowned eateries and also demonstrating his culinary skills on various occasions. 

On his first day, Chef Kumale went on an escapade of all three -- history, food and culture-- all in one. Starting from his visit to sites such as the Free Mason Lodge, Bolton Market, Wazir Mansion etc., and the demonstration of Pakistani recipes by Chef Naeem of Avari, the day ended with some of the spiciest and delicious food eaten at Tariq Road. 

From learning how to cook the day prior, Chef Kumale also had a chance to demonstrate his expertise in two different occasions. The first instance was his demonstration of Italian recipes that took place at Avari Towers with an audience packed with food bloggers and food enthusiasts. Four unique recipes that were not only Chef Kumale’s specialty, but also those that defined Italy as a whole were chosen to demonstrate the exclusivity in Italian cuisine. After an extensive three hour workshop, Chef Kumale, along with his colleagues from the Italian Consulate, visited the famous Kolachi restaurant located at Do Darya to enjoy the cool breezy winds and delicious platters and main course meals served by the courteous staff. 

The very next day food enthusiasts and those aspiring to be future chefs had a chance to experience Chef Kumale in his masterclass taught at MasterClass Pakistan - Hospitality Business School. Similar to the day prior, this time the workshop entailed not only tasting but a trial for all participants to try out the same recipe that was being demonstrated by the Chef. 

The last day called for another explorative venture where Chef Kumale started off his day with an early breakfast at Boat Basin followed by another excursion to Empress Market and the places surrounding it. The same evening involved an exclusive high-tea at Avari with the Italian Development Committee, renowned caterers and professionals from the food industry to converse with Chef Kumale on their experiences and overall expertise. Towards the end, a quick trip to Burnes Road was made for the chef to familiarize himself with the Karachi’s oldest, yet richest food street till date. 

With four days packed with street food experiences, classes and historical knowledge, Chef Kumale moved to broaden his scope on Pakistani cuisine towards the city of Lahore – a place that depicts its own taste of food and culture different than Karachi’s!
 

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• Fatima Khanani

A person with an indescribable love for food and writing, here to share my infamous thoughts with you through these blogs.