A doctor once told me that eating as much raw food as possible supports the body; it helps with the digestion, normalises body weight and makes energy readily available to the body.

The logic being that a large portion of cooked food can only go into the production of fat due to heat and acids altering it, making it difficult to metabolise in complex body processes -- raw food can easily break down into components that can be directly metabolised. The doctor held in high esteem the eating of raw vegetables, fruit and even meat in some forms, like sushi and meat carpaccio. Like any one else, I already do enjoy munching on carrot sticks, cucumbers, radish and some green leaves and fruits. Hence I was tempted to try out the beef carpaccio which evokes mixed reactions among different people because essentially it is raw beef.

This dish originated in Venice around 1950 in a place called Harry’s Bar and it was made at the request of a countess whose doctor had advised her to eat raw meat and the name comes from a Venetian painter, Vittore Carpaccio, because the final dish looked so colourful. Through the ages, the carpaccio has undergone variations to suit different tastes and carpaccio now means anything that is paper-thin sliced. In today’s world of modern and fusion cuisine, one can find such diverse names from tuna to pineapple carpaccio.

The way it is made is quite simple, but each ingredient needs to be used in the appropriate quantities. The beef must either be thinly sliced (for which it needs to be frozen first then carved) or pounded (in which case, it needs to be frozen after being pounded and before it can be served); and the quality of the meat needs to be very carefully chosen, and in this case tenderloin works best. The reason for this being the very low fat content in between the muscle layers resulting in tender, easily chewable meat.

The thinly sliced beef is seasoned, then drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice and rocket leaves, and finally topped off with shavings of original parmesan cheese. Through the ages, people have experimented and many have either added onto the original or introduced their own variations to this particular appetizer by introducing Dijon mustard or balsamic vinegar, capers, and other greens.

Due to its different components, its presentation is extremely colourful and once you get over the inhibition of having raw meat, its taste will delight you. Each and every element has its own flavour that does not distract but melts into one another, with the texture and tang of beef itself coming through perfectly! The lemon and seasoning act as tenderisers and add to the experience while the extra virgin olive oil oozes smoothness, the rocket leaves adding an aromatic peppery flavour completed with the slightly nutty, slightly sweet and vaguely buttery sensation of the parmesan.

I assure you, once you have tried this particular starter, its fresh and zesty flavour will surprise you and soon you will be hooked to its essence. A few restaurants around Karachi make this perfectly, especially (and surprisingly) a seafood restaurant on main Zamzama. So if you are feeling adventurous or just in the mood to try out something a little different, you need not look any further.