FREMANTLE-based chef Will Meyrick will be exploring the history and culture of north east India in his new SBS Food show, Street Food Nomad – Kolkata.
Mr Meyrick, who owns Northbridge restaurant Will St, splits his time between Fremantle and Bali where he also heads up several locations including Sarong, Mama San, Hujan Locale, and Billy Ho.
Filmed in Kolkata in 2019, the show was originally documented as part of Mr Meyrick’s research for his restaurants, to “investigate” and study the complexities of Indian cuisine through “journalistic” videography and photography.
In 2020, however, Mr Meyrick found himself stuck in WA thanks to the pandemic, and a series of “right place, right time” events saw him begin to work with local production company, Mago Films, and Streetfood Nomad Kolkata was born.
“Because we couldn’t leave, we just started to film all of the [cooking components] of the show, and then used the footage we shot in Kolkata,” Mr Meyrick said.
“We managed to pull it all together and make a show out of it… it’s great to see it all eventuate now.”
The show itself weaves together footage from “the alleyways of Kolkata”, as well as recipes fine-tuned by Mr Meyrick which were filmed in his Fremantle kitchen.
French influences
Throughout the show’s six episodes, Mr Meyrick explores history’s impact on Kolkata’s street food culture, including Arabic, Persian, Mongolian, British, and French influences – all of which are representative of Kolkata’s history, demographics, and geography.
“There’s even a Jewish quarter in the depths of Kolkata where they’ll do lots of Jewish biscuits and desserts,” Mr Meyrick explained.
“There’s also a big Chinese influence, where they’ll have dumplings and noodles and momos that you’d never expect to have, which was carried through Nepal and Tibet through into the bigger cities.”
The food industry has “slightly lost touch” with the cuisines they cook with, according to Mr Meyrick, which is why he says it’s so important to document the true origins of their ingredients and food.
“There’s an awareness about where food has come from, but not many people look at the history of the food they are cooking,” he said.
“Without that history we don’t have a trace of where we’ve come from, and where our food culture has come from, and why certain food has worked for certain places through religion, war, and migration of people.
“If you don’t understand the history, then you don’t understand the ingredients.”
Back in Fremantle, Mr Meyrick created an array of recipes based on conversations with people in Kolkata’s streets, including curries, chaat, and noodles, to name a few.
“The recipes that we developed are traditional, but 99 per cent of them are all actually directly off the street, with the old men and women that I worked with,” Mr Meyrick said.
“Sometimes they won’t tell you the recipe, they’ll only tell you half, so we had to work back and look at old cookbooks as well as history books to work out what actually makes sense.
“That’s where the history and understanding of what you’re cooking with is so important.”
A national Australian show is a long time coming for Mr Meyrick, who has appeared on several Indonesian cooking shows and international Discovery Channel broadcasts including Top Chef.
“It’s so nice to do something back in Australia,” Mr Meyrick said.
“Especially because we have Will St over here, so it all ties hand in hand…I’m super psyched.”
Street Food Nomad – Kolkata will be premiering on SBS Food Channel on January 22 at 9pm.
by KATHERINE KRAAYVANGER
Perth Voice Interactive 
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