“Food Raconteur” Ashok Nageshwaran wants to explain to you a story with every dish

The term “fusion,” as it relates to the culinary arts, is generally misinterpreted, suggests Chef Ashok Nageshwaran. For the India-born Nageshwaran, fusion phone calls for significantly much more than basically throwing collectively a food encouraged by various cultures. 

“There has to be a bit of science in there,” he claims. “You have to realize the historical past of [the dishes]. What are the similarities? What flavors go collectively?” 

Via his catering and activities firm, Meals Raconteur, Nageshwaran and his group develop 1-of-a-sort eating ordeals for groups of all dimensions. Every dish is a considerate relationship of cultural cuisines. 

“It’s not a single-menu-matches-all. We check out to understand the profile of the host and the company,” states Nageshwaran. “Are they worldwide vacationers, or locals who never want way too substantially adventure? Will it be too spicy? ”

The history of each individual dish, he says, is significant to comprehension and appreciating the food stuff. Relatively than just setting a plate on the desk, Nageshwaran narrates every meal, drawing it out over various hours for a certainly immersive working experience. The term “raconteur” is French for storyteller, and that is how he sees himself. 

“People really do not know what they take in. They just do it with no comprehension the background, and I imagine that is the most intriguing aspect,” he says. Just take the kebab, for case in point. Kebabs are imagined to have originated in Turkey in the 1300s when soldiers skewered chunks of freshly hunted meat on swords and grilled them in excess of open up fires. “I inform men and women that what they’re feeding on is not just a piece of meat but a piece of historical past. They then have a newfound regard for the dish and the society.”

Nageshwaran’s special strategy gained him a 2020 Most Impressive Company Award from the metropolis of Creve Coeur. He credits his past profession in marketing and advertising with serving to him figure out his niche and build a brand. 

Nageshwaran, who is 47, moved to Brisbane, Australia, at age 24 to go after a master’s degree in business administration. Although in college, he labored at an Italian cafe and caught the culinary bug. He then invested 15 yrs in international internet marketing positions in India before relocating to St. Louis for his wife’s position in 2012. Following a couple many years, he found himself at a crossroads, striving to make your mind up whether to proceed climbing the company ladder or pursue his enthusiasm for food items. 

He enrolled at Le Cordon Bleu University of Culinary Arts, then used six months in Spain, doing the job with notable chefs. In St. Louis, he was hired by The Ritz-Carlton as a line prepare dinner and led food items preparation for Sodexo, the place he realized the artwork of food assistance for big groups. He released Food Raconteur in 2017. 

“People have instructed me St. Louis is not the put for this,” he suggests. “But I experienced a sturdy perception that there was a market place for it.” 

His instincts proved proper. Even in the course of the pandemic, Nageshwaran states he’s declined far more occasions than he’s accepted. He’s tailored to virtual classes and ventured into residence-delivery meals, an spot wherever he sees advancement.

“Not quite a few industries give you the prospect to learn each day,” he says. “It retains my brain refreshed and my electricity beneficial.”