Mumbai chefs battle the latest beard trends with culinary hygiene

Devansh Jhaveri chef founder Mafia Chef Uses rubber band and beard net PicsSayyed Sameer AbediA few years ago at a famous Bandra chaat joint we sat with a friend gorging on a plate of sweetspicy dahi batata puri when a twoinch curly strand was spotted lazing in a dollop of yogurt Appetite vanished we pointed it to the waiter who picked it with a spoon and walked away Two years ago when Washington Post carried an article on the arrival of the Michelin Guide to DC they supported it with a picture of Nicholas Stefanelli of Masseria plating a dishThe next day the newspapers office was flooded with calls from readers concerned about hygiene at the famous Italian cookhouse When we bring this up with chef and archaeologist Kurush Dalal who runs a popular catering service quotes an anecdote from Anthony Bourdains book A Kitchen Confidential I was telling my staff that according to Bourdain after an end of a long shift when you travel in a crowded underground a space mysteriously clears around you Seth yeh sachh hai a member of Dalals staff piped Even the crowded Mumbai local has a threshold for odour Sweat and the dense aroma of food hangs on you like second skin Now imagine what steam heat oil and vapour can do to facial hairHowever Dalal argues that the issue is one that primarily concerns line chefs since those concerned with catering units cook in larger utensils which dont require you to lean into food pots Unless a strand gets baked into a pastry or pizza a chef at the pass is most likely to run an eye over dishes before they are picked up by service staff at the counter Long hair falls easily and most chefs keep a half inch to a manageable inchlong beard so its not all that rampant he arguesCleanliness is GodlinessFor Grand master chef of India and Padma Shri Imtiaz Qureshi the kitchen is a holy place Kitchen ko wohi aadar diya jaata hai jo mandir ya masjid ko A kitchen is given the same respect a temple or mosque is The first respect is through cleanliness Nails should be trimmed and the moustache should not touch water when you raise a glass to your lips And the length of a beard should be such that it doesnt shed hair At ITC as professional chefs we followed the nobeard rule limiting it to a stubble at best says the man who belongs to the family of khansamas for Mughal rulers and served ITC Hotels for 39 yearsOn his social media profile Devansh Jhaveri calls himself a beard enthusiast He is the man behind Mafia Chef a multiarm culinary firm that makes gourmet food items and designs restaurant menus In fact the brand logo is his mug handlebar moustache and thick chin fuzz in place I brush my beard to clear out lose strands before entering the kitchen When I am cooking I use a rubber band to tie it in and wear a beard net says Jhaveri adding that while some chefs prefer to tie a cloth around their chins in the hot kitchen he relies on beard nets that he requests friends to pick up from travels abroad It gets tricky when a member of the service staff decides to sport chin hair It would give the floor a hospital feel wont it So its best to stress on selfhygiene and grooming across the board says JhaveriThe photo published in the Washington Post showed chefs with uncovered hair and beards that had readers expressing concern about hygiene PicTHEWASHINGTONPOSTHands off is Pablo Naranjo Agulars mantra Over the years he says he has trained himself to resist touching his beard while in the kitchen because there is nothing like being overcautious Experience gives you that ninja eye that will spot a hair in the distance because it is after all one of our worst nightmares says the executive chef and pattisserie and cafeacute Le 15 Agulars daily regime includes washing his beard and brushing it to remove extra hair I use good quality grooming products to keep it clean But what works best is no touchingPablo Naranjo Agular executive chef Le 15 Uses Brush grooming products But what works best is no touching PicBipin KokateResponsible fashionBlogger and gourmet consultant Nikhil Merchant who has personally given in to the chin hair trend says some chefs also prefer to shave the hair on their forearms Not because they are worried about shedding hair into food but because they are concerned of singeing it while cookingHe says these days chefs are stars of the culinary world Making a style statement is part of establishing a personality in the kitchen Its commanding and exudes masculinity The beard has made a comeback he thinks Merchants own regime is simple Wash your hands and face before starting to cook and keep the beard short A weekly trim monthly shaping and regular shampooing should do the trick he says While there are a multitude of grooming products available including beard wax and oils I use homemade coconut oil and a regular shampoo This ensures loose follicles are done away with and you have a nice growth which stays putPadma Shri Imtiaz QureshiAnd then Dalal giving in to his passion for research throws us a googly In the early 21st century a survey in America concluded that 80 per cent cases of the time the hair spotted in food at restaurants belonged to the patron Dont you think we are making an issue out of nothing