EKAA uses Khasi pine from Shillong in its aromatic extraction

EKAA, the Mumbai restaurant, sources Khasi pine needles from Shillong and transforms them through careful extraction into a distinctive aromatic oil. The needles, which carry earth and root when harvested, release a complex fragrance: resinous at first, then balsamic and woody beneath, with hints of citrus and camphor according to the kitchen’s notes on the material. This layering of scent is what drew the restaurant to the pine in the first place. A generic pine oil would not serve their purpose; they needed a botanical with genuine complexity, the kind that comes from a specific forest and a specific plant growing in specific conditions.

The extraction process demands restraint. Push too hard and the subtlety collapses; extract too gently and the intensity needed on the plate dissolves. EKAA’s photographs show the work at source: hands holding bundles of fine needles, their green blade like form intact, roots still attached in some cases, arranged in metal bowls and trays for preparation. The images document the bridge between forest and kitchen: the plant in its recognisable form, before transformation, its structure and origin still visible. This is Harvey Hira’s lens on the work: the discovery of how something grows, how it is handled, what technique is required to capture its character without loss.

What distinguishes EKAA’s approach is that this is not a novelty gesture or a marketing angle toward indigenous ingredients. The restaurant’s exploration of India’s forest botanicals reflects a deliberate commitment to discovering materials with genuine aromatic profiles and the capacity to transform a dish. Pine becomes, in this context, a vehicle for a larger conversation: between the kitchen and the forest, between what grows in India’s regions and what can be drawn from that growth through thoughtful technique. When the oil appears on a plate at EKAA, it will carry the character of Shillong, and the diner will taste not just an aroma but a place.

What makes this pursuit distinctive is the deliberation behind it. EKAA’s exploration of indigenous Indian biodiversity is not a marketing gesture toward novelty. It reflects a real commitment to discovering ingredients with genuine aromatic profiles and the capacity to transform a dish. Pine, in this context, becomes a vehicle for something larger: a conversation between the kitchen and the forest, between what grows in India’s regions and what can be drawn from that growth through thoughtful technique.

The photographs show the process without artifice. Hands hold bundles of the needles, their green length visible beside the brown woody stems. Multiple bundles rest in metal bowls and trays, arranged for preparation or extraction. The needles show their structure, the fine blade like form that allows their aromatic compounds to release so readily. The roots, still attached in some cases, remind you that this is a harvested plant, not a processed ingredient arriving in a bottle. What you see is the bridge between forest and kitchen: the raw material in its recognisable form, before transformation, when its story is still visible in its structure.

For those dining at EKAA, the pine oil appears as part of a larger exploration. It is not a garnish or a flourish. It is an ingredient with conviction, chosen because it offers something genuine to the plate: a specific aroma, a particular character, a way of connecting the diner to the forests of Shillong and, through that, to the regional biodiversity that defines much of India’s culinary potential. The restaurant’s commitment to restraint and respect suggests that when pine appears, it will be used with purpose, its intensity and complexity allowed to unfold rather than overwhelmed.

Imagery courtesy of EKAA (@ekaamumbai).