Amaya’s Table: Where Local Foraging and Global Flavours Converge

Amaya is a world where all of the senses are indulged. Your eyes are greeted by vistas of sublime beauty, of endless misty mountain expanses, crisp sunlit mornings and soft moonlit nights. You wake to the sound of birdsong trilling through the conifers and the rustle of leaves brushed by the breeze. You walk amidst the scent of native wildflowers and pine needles, at once calming and invigorating, layer upon layer of woody and floral notes carried on the wind.

It is only fitting, then, that during your time you should fully indulge your sense of taste. Our 25-acre sanctuary is replete with organic orchards and flourishing vegetable gardens, each abuzz with pollinating bees and butterflies, and our guests are encouraged to join us on our foraging excursions.

Guided by Hemraj, our expert horticulturist, these excursions are by no means limited to foraging for food. They are rich culinary experiences in themselves, showcasing a myriad of locally cherished ingredients both wild and cultivated. Taste for yourself the potent lemon rush from a young wild sorrel leaf, bursting with vitamin C, and find out first-hand how it can elevate a chutney to tangy perfection. Sample sweet mulberries from our dedicated orchard and learn about the processes involved in drying the spring berries until their flavour is reminiscent of vanilla and sweet honey.

Discover fiddlehead ferns, and pick coiled fronds perfect for pickling, as verdant green as the peas we grow in our organic gardens – plump, juicy and astonishingly sweet. In spring, visit our wild garlic patch, its green surface a bed of little white flowers. Or, in late summer, pluck an apple from the farm, and taste for yourself the floral notes of its golden flesh to realise why we take such great care to grow and nurture the ‘Dorsett Golden’ cultivar amid this unique climate.

We take immense pride in developing our reputation as a culinary retreat, and our foraging activities continue to inspire chefs and culinary artisans from all walks of life. A few years ago, craft gin makers from the Goa-based Third Eye Distillery spent a day studying with us, perusing our orchards and farms; the distinctive flavour profiles of our fresh peaches, figs, lychees, edible flowers and wild berries inspired the creation of a limited-edition series of exquisite bespoke cocktails for our guests.

It is this spirit of innovation that informs our own cuisine; our chefs are constantly experimenting to discover new ways of refining traditional Himachali staple dishes with the flair and finesse of global haute cuisine. Each dish we serve is an experience that reflects the distinct seasonal rhythm of the Himalayan pine forest, the preservation techniques mastered over the generations by the surrounding villages, and the latest innovations in modern culinary science.

Our menus are testament to an ever-evolving culinary dialogue here between the past and the present, the local and the global, the rustic and the refined. They are a celebration of local flora, grown and foraged and prepared with love. The wild flavours and textures of locally sourced edible plants are appraised, evaluated and tested by our chefs to create culinary experiences that are dynamic, seasonal, and always unique.

Foraging with us is more than just a novelty; it is an invitation to a practice deeply rooted in the culture and traditions of the inhabitants of these hills. It is an adventure that confers an intimate knowledge of the land and its rhythms, and teaches us all how best to nurture the natural environment we inhabit. We only ever take what we need and leave plenty for future growth to flourish. And when you sit down to dinner in the evening, and discover for yourself the transformative effect a foraged mulberry murabba glaze has on a braised neck of lamb, we hope you will agree that the fruits of our labour speak for themselves.