On the Menu: Zero Waste Cooking at Amaya

In short, Amaya Labs is a hive of culinary experimentation and invention where our chefs combine traditional fermentation techniques with modern culinary science to develop truly unforgettable fine dining experiences. All of our ingredients are either foraged and farmed by our team of naturalists or produced and sourced locally, seasonally, and sustainably, with each element traceable to its point of origin.

[“I believe that if you want to be truly sustainable, food should not travel. So, I wanted to create a food program that is seasonal and truly fine dining” ~ Deepak Gupta, founder of Amaya]

Our team of chefs subjects every component of every ingredient to meticulous scrutiny to discover new ways of perfecting your dining experience. From root to flower, seed to stem, whether pickled or dehydrated, preserved or served farm-fresh, everything has its place, and nothing goes to waste.

Carrot tops, potato skins, animal bones, squash seeds, fruit peels, cheese rinds: nothing escapes Amaya’s commitment to zero waste cooking. Some waste elements are incorporated in our organic compost: coffee grounds, potato skins, cheese rinds. Others are blended seamlessly into dishes: fish heads and animal bones form a rich base for our stocks and broths, while dehydrated fruit peels are integrated into unique, seasonal spice blends.

Upon your arrival at Amaya, the fruits of our zero waste philosophy are ready and waiting to be sampled. A cool glass of wild pear kombucha, fresh from the bottle – crisp, sweet, subtly tangy, and utterly refreshing. Or try some homemade umeshu, our marriage made in heaven between traditional concepts of Japanese brewing and the native plums of the Himalayas. Harvested while green, these plums are steeped for a year in organic sugar and distilled spirit to produce a liqueur both elegant and sophisticated.

Then, take a stroll through our beautiful pine forest; listen to the birdsong amidst the rustling of the leaves and the crackling of pine needles underfoot. Witness the array of wildflowers and herbs and discover strawberries growing wild in the dappled light. Breathe in the crisp, cool mountain air, the mist laden with the scents of the earth and the trees.

Afterwards, sit back and relax while our chefs present you with exquisite, organic, zero waste dishes, each plate a memento to your newfound connection with the mountains. Chha gosht, rich in buttermilk and bursting with spice, served with herbs and vegetables grown lovingly by our in-house naturalist.

Share in our passion for the meaty, earthy mushrooms of the Himalayan foothills with a broth elevated to umami perfection by freshly foraged lion’s manes and morels, selected with the utmost care for pungency and depth of flavour.

[“You are wrapped up by the mountains, we’re cooking the mountains, and you’re eating it.” ~ Prateek Sadhu, chef and co-founder of Naar at Amaya]

Notice how a little sprinkle of homemade pine needle salt accentuates our silky-smooth organic butter on a perfectly flaky khasta roti, or perhaps try a gentle dusting atop a Himalayan ekalu, made light and elegant with locally sourced yak cheese. Tender lamb neck, smoked with fragrant juniper leaves, cooked long and slow and served with aromatic mushk budji rice.