My obsession with cuisine started with the onset of my travels and my culinary palate saw no end to its craving after the initial outburst. Being a fussy eater during my childhood, this change came as a blessing in disguise or at least that’s what my mother said, since she thought that I would put on a few kilos due to my newly acquired obsession: little did she know about how high my metabolic rate was!

Keeping that aside, the obsession with cuisine and the newly acquired passion to try out new dishes meant that on my travels, I was always amidst the locals, trying to decipher the array of spices that the dish hosted which directly translated to me interacting with people. Food had now become a means via which I was feeding my craving and at the same time socializing with people I had never met before. The perfect balance I tell you.

Cuisine had now become a full-fledged topic of discussion and every conversation seemed so interesting because every time I interacted with a stranger, they would have their take on the customary dish, a conversation that would soon digress. No sooner had one person finished his take on the matter, than, another person would start addressing the crowd, presenting to them another perspective. One such occasion saw me and my friends debating about a recently tasted brownie called a ‘Slutty Brownie’ its maker, or rather, its baker deeming the name to be apt due to the wide spectrum of ingredients used. The texture and consistency of the brownie also played an important factor in the naming process, which was what I was told.

For me, being of Indian roots, breakfast always comprised of elements like an aloo paratha, or the Indian version of the French Toast or something along the lines. But this particular time, when I was visiting the suburbs of Leura, in Australia, ‘Banana Bread with Butter and a cup of Hot Chocolate’, added up to form one of the most memorable breakfasts of my life which is evident by the fact that this is the one instance I choose to share with you. Little did I know that breakfasts’ change so drastically from one suburb to another, because in the neighboring suburb of Tambourine, ‘Scon and Jam’ seemed to be on offer.

From the ingredients of raw fish in the ‘Sushi’ of Japan, to the ghee in the ‘Dalbati’ of Rajasthan, traveling is one entity that unifies all these dishes together and essentially brings these cultures closer. Food has become a powerful medium via which one can associate a sense of tradition and history of various cultures and IT TASTES SO GOOD! Add to that the added incentive of socializing with people, why would you not want to travel?