Meghalaya Tourism’s national culinary initiative to showcase Khasi, Garo and Jaintia food traditions through curated dining experiences and public festivals between October 2026 and February 2027
Meghalaya is taking its indigenous culinary traditions to major Indian cities through a 14-event programme designed to introduce audiences to the state’s food heritage, traditional cooking practices and local culinary communities. Delhi NCR is among the destinations on the itinerary, as Meghalaya Tourism and Meghalayan Age, in collaboration with Seeti Movement, launch two initiatives—Seeti In Your City and Fire & Feast Festival—between October 2026 and February 2027.
The initiative seeks to expand the reach of Meghalaya’s food culture beyond the Northeast by bringing its indigenous ingredients, regional recipes and traditional culinary knowledge to urban audiences. The programme will feature chefs and traditional cooks associated with the Khasi, Garo and Jaintia communities, with the twin formats combining curated dining experiences and larger public food festivals.
The first event, Tribal Expressions by Seeti In Your City, will take place in Bengaluru on 22 October at Tijouri, Radisson Blu Atria. The experience will focus on the food cultures of Meghalaya’s three major indigenous communities, highlighting traditional ingredients, regional cooking techniques and the cultural narratives associated with local cuisine. The series will subsequently travel to Delhi NCR, Mumbai and Kolkata, with further editions planned across India.
The second initiative, Fire & Feast Festival, will take Meghalaya’s culinary offerings to a wider audience through food festivals centred on barbecue, live-fire cooking, music and community participation. The festival is planned for Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Goa, Mumbai and Gurgaon.
The programme will feature Chef Nambie Jessica Marak, First Runner-Up of MasterChef India Season 8 and Cultural and Culinary Ambassador of Meghalaya, alongside chefs and culinary practitioners Ahmedaki Laloo, Benny Paia Dondor Wankhar, Adonijah Lyngdoh, Reuben Zamal Sooting and Fufu Pamei.
Pitmasters and barbecue specialists Christopher Fernandes and Vasco Alvares, as well as restaurateur and hospitality entrepreneur Rizwan Amlani, will participate in Fire & Feast Festival. Restaurants Rynsan and Shad Skye, along with traditional cooks from the Mylliem area, will present regional ingredients and culinary traditions through dedicated showcases.
Dr. Vijay Kumar, Commissioner and Secretary, Department of Tourism, said the initiative would create opportunities for cultural exchange and bring greater recognition to Meghalaya’s indigenous ingredients, traditional knowledge and local talent.
“By taking Meghalaya’s culinary heritage to cities across India, we are creating a platform for cultural exchange and greater recognition of our indigenous ingredients, traditional knowledge and local talent. We see this as an opportunity to strengthen the state’s visibility while ensuring its communities remain central to the story,” he said.
Sid Mewara of The Big Forkers said the two formats would offer different ways for audiences to engage with Meghalaya’s food culture, with Seeti In Your City focusing on intimate culinary experiences and Fire & Feast Festival opening the experience to a wider public.
Priyadarshini Raje Scindia said the programme would help introduce audiences to the relationship between Meghalaya’s food, land and communities, while recognising the generations of traditional cooks who have preserved its culinary practices.
Through the 14-event programme, Meghalaya Tourism and Meghalayan Age aim to build a national platform for the state’s culinary heritage, support local chefs and food communities, and strengthen Meghalaya’s profile as a destination for food and cultural tourism.
