A spicy affair: Velde's love for Vatha Kozhambu and Tamil dishes

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu, known for its hospitality, has never shied away from flaunting its cuisine. The latest to fall in love with the foods of the State is Geert van der Velde, the CEO of Chessable --- an e-learning platform for Chess lovers --- who is in Mahabalipuram for the 44th Chess Olympiad. While he looks to improve Chess as a sport, Chennaiites wish to see him enjoy more local food.

The Dutchman, based in Spain, is attending his first Chess Olympiad.

Talking about his online platform, he says "Chessable is the biggest e-learning platform for chess. If you are into sports, you go to the gym to become stronger and move faster. If you are into chess, you come to Chessable to improve. We have built an 'online gym' for chess players to become better.”

"We are part of the Play Magnus Group, which is owned by Magnus Carlsen. I am so happy that he is here. It (his presence) is so important for chess. We came here (Mahabalipuram) with limited amount of resources, we are trying to save money on hotel and other areas,” he adds.

On the look out for vegetarian treat, Velde stopped at A2B (Adyar Ananda Bhavan) in Mahabalipuram, thanks to a taxi driver. A snap of his at the restaurant eating from a vaazha ilai (plantain leaf) got him enough suggestions to try out through out his stay in the city. Nothing makes a host proud than seeing the guest enjoy their hospitality. PM Modi taking note of Velde's love for Tamil dishes tweeted, "India's culinary diversity is legendary. You will find a dish for every occasion. Glad to see you enjoying Chennai and exploring the city." (sic)

Taking us through his culinary adventures van der Velde says he has tried Masala Dosa, Vada, Fried rice varieties with mushroom and fruits. Having a keen eye on the suggestions, he had also tried Aloo Gobi Masala, Veg Manchurian and mixed veg curry in the Chettinad cuisine. The spicy-food aficionado also took notes on dishes such as Vatha Kozhambu.

With more than a week remaining in the Olympiad, Velde has his menu list sorted, "I am getting lots of messages on Twitter like 'You should eat this. You should eat that'. I have a list of food which I would like to eat in the next few days."

"I would put it (Indian food) up there with the best food I have eaten. I am going to give nine on 10. The food is really fantastic.," he added.