Chef Ranveer Brar, Chef Vicky Ratnani, Chef Ajay Chopra and more share their love for food on World Food Day

It is no secret that food plays an integral part of all our lives. And more so in the lives of those who have made it their profession, like chefs, recipe developers and even writers. On the occasion of World Food Day today, we reached out to some more the most experienced Indian chefs as well as some up and coming chefs who are creating waves in the culinary world. We asked them to explain their deep relationship with food and what made them get started? Some even shared with their the most cherished memories from their childhood that left an indelible mark on their lives. Read on:

Chef Vicky Ratnani, founder, Speak Burgers

Food means everything to me. A bond, a culture. It is energy , nourishment, love, a larger-than-life topic that connects us with each other and helps us communicate. While I grew up, we had a main kitchen in the house where different kinds of foods were cooked together by my mum, aunts, and grand mothers. Eating seasonal food cooked in traditional Sindhi style is one of my fondest memories from childhood.

Chef Nishant Choubey, co-founder Street Storyss, Bangalore

Stealing mulberries from my neighbourhood in Kasmar, Bokaro (Jharkhand) and eating it with rock salt is a memory that makes me very nostalgic! My friends and I would wait for the fruits to ripen and climb the not-so-strong branches of the mulberry tree. It was a different experience. The stolen fruits somehow tasted even better than the ones that we used to buy. My friends and I would always get reprimanded for this by my uncle, but we never stopped. After all, that’s what childhood is all about, right? We believed in the slogan, ‘Khane ke liye kuch bhi karenge’.

Chef Guntas Sethi, Recipe developer

My whole life circles around food and it always has — it’s all food in a nutshell! I’ve grown up loving food as cliché as it sounds. Growing up in a Punjabi household, we wake up talking about food and even have our meals, we are discussing our next meal. When I was a child, one of my most priced memories is having my dad cook for us every weekend and having our meals together when my parents would get back from work. It’s always held a very special place in my life and my formative growing years. I’ve grown up watching cooking shows and I’ve consumed so much content about food with my family, it’s a very special memory, something I will always cherish.

Chef Ranveer Brar

I think, some of the greatest lessons and inspirations for food and cooking come from our kitchens, especially from the maternal influences in my family. Biji, my grandmother, would emphasise on the virtue of giving and when one cooks with good intentions, the food automatically imbibes those qualities. After all, food is feelings transferred on to the dish!

One of the most important lessons that I draw from our kitchens and cooking practices, is the brilliant use of food, in cooked or ingredient form so that there is little to no waste. Take my favourite coriander for instance, it’s a perfect example of using an ingredient from root to shoot. Likewise with vegetable peels, leftover rice, sabji; everything would be reused. And that is one of the key points to remember on a day such as World Food Day. When you cook and consume what you need rather than what you want, you automatically contribute to optimal utilisation of resources. This is a crucial step in the food ecosystem.

Chef Vanika Choudhary, founder and Chef, Sequel and Noon, Mumbai

My earliest food memories are of watching my mother and grandmother prepare delicious, wholesome meals by hand. Be it pounding masalas and condiments in a mortar pestle, soaking and grinding heritage grains, or sun-drying vegetables like gucchi/morels to preserve them for winters, and making achaars in large earthern pots. We used to eat and live according to the seasons, in our home in Kashmir and then in Jammu. Watching my father tend to his garden, where he grew a wide variety of plants both rare and common — a mix alpine strawberries to tulips and Kashmiri haak saag, and more. All of this is what has shaped the way I cook today and how I interpret food. And food to me is a celebration of these stories from my childhood.

Chef Himanshu Saini, corporate chef, Trèsind, Mumbai

My relationship with food has been fostered from childhood itself. My parents were food enthusiasts and even though my mother was an amazing cook, we would often order takeaways and eat out.

I have grown up in the streets of old Delhi, and eating street food was the best thing I have done all my childhood. There are so many memories around food which has influenced my choice of becoming a chef.

We used to live in Old Delhi, near Chandni Chowk and I remember visiting the original Moti Mahal, the very first restaurant to introduce tandoori chicken and butter chicken. This place was close to my home and I would eat Naan and Butter Chicken very frequently.

In fact, there was a small kiosk called Chicken Changezi, known for their Tawa Chicken. My father would take 100gms of Amul butter from home and give the man there the butter and ask him to make the Tawa chicken with a whole lot of butter for us.

For me it’s not just about cooking, I have learned how important is storytelling, and I have learned about so many different ingredients and techniques and how they can elevate any cuisine. Food is my passion and I get to live and learn with my team every day. It is a window through which I get to showcase the vast diversity and culture of Indian cuisine.

Chef Niyati Rao, head chef and partner, Ekaa, Mumbai

I have so many favourite childhood with food like coming back from school and standing on the kitchen counter with mom as she would prepare my afternoon snack. Or travelling with my parents who were always open towards different food experiences and pushed us to try every thing. And I think that has broadened my horizons and perspective towards food.

Food means everything to me and I’m not just saying this because I am a Chef but even if I go to a new place or I wake up, the first thought in my head is “What do I eat? What will I get there?”. I think it’s always about exploring the local markets for me before seeing the heritage monuments or scenic locations in any country that I go.

Food is sacred and food is pure, the purest thing in fact. The more you love food the same love it will give you back. Plus I think people love food so much, no matter where they are or what condition they are in they never go hungry and this is something that I have experienced.

Chef Ajay Chopra

In my opinion, food is not just something that we fill our stomachs with. Food is life and creativity. For me, it is something that gives me a livelihood and I really enjoy working with it. When there is food around me, it makes me and my family happy and grateful. It makes me feel blessed.

Like most other chefs, my childhood, too, was surrounded by food. I wasn’t privileged to be visiting top and rocking restaurants like the millennials today, but I learnt through basic techniques by observing chefs at dhabas, mithai stores or street vendors. For me, my fondest memories include the learnings I gathered from them in my childhood.

As I grew, I was blessed with the opportunity to come this far in the culinary industry and learn cuisine the way world class chefs do. I am thankful to God for this, as when I turn to look back, they all look like milestones in my journey.