Darjeeling

The Boutique Darjeeling delivers you from 11am à 2H30 pm and from 6pm to 10h30.

Colourful and delicate as a silk sari, unnerving and intense as tiger's gaze - India never ceases to amaze and delight us with its intoxicating universe of colours, sounds and smells.

Over the ages, Indian cooking has developped into one of the world's truly great cuisines, drawing on a host of influences and traditions, from the extravagant eras of the Maharajahs and the Nabobs, to the distant Mogul Empire and the quixotic days of the Raj.

For generations, recipes have been handed down from master to pupil. Redolent of the odour of spices, they conjure up the bustle of India's marketplaces. They will transport you to dusty ochre plains and lush forests, and let you feel the power of monsoon.

India's rich and varied cuisine is utterly exhilarating. It is the expression of a refined civilisation with centuries of history. The secrets of combining spices to create flavours and aromas are carefully guarded. Cardamon, Bengal garam, green papaya, cloves, curry leaves, mango, poppy, nutmeg, turmeric, fenugreek - more than 32 spices and flavourings are used in the long, slow process of preparation. Indeed, time, which seems to move more slowly than in the West, is one of the most important ingredients.

Legend tells us that the Jewish Indians were one of 10 tribes that followed the spice trade and sttled in India 3000 years ago during the reign of King Salomon. Long after in 1293, Marco Polo met their descendents.

Throughout the following centuries - a whirlwind of images, peoples, cultures and beliefs - Jews have played their part, all the while keeping kosher.