10 Spice Route Nations Promote Tourism Through Food, Souvenirs

KOCHI:
The Sunday crowds enthusiastically devoured the kahwa and cookies that were served at tourism stalls manned by representatives from the countries participating in the Spice Route Culinary Festival on the Bolgatty Palace premises.
Every stall served products unique to the represented country. Qatar treated the visitors to kahwa, a traditional tea, and savouries made of dates. Turkey served an array of ethnic Turkish halwa.
Cookies were a big draw at the Netherlands stall. “These cookies are traditional to our country,” said Netherlands Ambassador H.E. Alphonsus Stoelinga. “The main ingredients are jaggery and flour, but it is not too sweet as some cookies.”
The stall also had miniatures of the wooden clogs used in the European country. “We have marshy land and usual shoes cannot be used. Hence, we use wooden shoes there,” said Stoelinga.
The stalls also handed out recipe books of traditional dishes from each country.