Flavours of Home: Celebrity Chefs Reveal the Strength of Culture and Tradition

Food is not just a dish-it's a living narrative, a celebration of origin, and a paying homage to heritage. Four celebrity chefs recently shared the influence their cultural heritage and family traditions play in being the secret ingredients in their signature dishes, in a heartfelt glimpse into the flavours that speak of "home."

 

Aruna Vijay infuses her Marwadi background with Tamil Nadu influences, in a kitchen where dal baati and rasam coexist. Food is, for her, a bridge of generations, passed down from grandmother to mother to herself, with the zing of southern spices infusing her distinctive style.

 

Kriti Dhiman finds inspiration from her Punjabi upbringing in Mandi Gobindgarh. Her food carries the culture of community and authenticity, a fact evident through her blending of Punjabi panjiri and French pâtisserie in MasterChef India. She adheres to creating innovation with honour, so whatever innovation she applies, it must still respect where it came from.

 

Sneha Singhi attributes her Marwari heritage and her nana's liberality for the soulful nature of her approach to cooking. She holds dear meals cooked in shudh desi ghee and appreciates food as an expression of care and belonging, seeking to imbue every dish with warmth and belongingness.

 

Aishwarya Sonvane celebrates a rich tapestry of Maharashtrian, Kannada, and Andhra flavors from her multicultural family heritage. For her, cooking is storytelling, as rice-based preparations and bold, tangy flavors recall home and family gatherings.

 

These chefs demonstrate that the flavors of home are not merely a matter of taste-they're about identity, memory, and the stories that unite us all.

 

Source: Hindustan Times