Food

An idea that started off as a ‘chai tapri’ outside a college in Shillong is a multi-crore tea business in Delhi today. Chaai Seth, a brainchild of Arpit Raj and his friends, has outlets in 27 Indian states.

They’ve been standing for decades, welcoming people who just want a peaceful breakfast while reading the morning paper. Irani cafes in Mumbai exude both finesse and simplicity. Here are eight of them that should be on your list.

Sisters Dea and Ojasvi Sharma, along with their mother Hema, started Chilzo, a Mumbai-based food brand that offers authentic sauces and condiments from Italy, Africa, Mexico, and China.

Originating in the Himalayan region, chhurpi is a beloved snack across Nepal, Bhutan, and hilly Indian regions. We trace the history and significance of this smokey cheese, which is considered the world’s hardest.

Yearning for the flavours of Indian cuisine while residing in Brooklyn, Swetha Raju, accompanied by her husband and two children, embarked on a venture called the Brooklyn Curry Project in 2021, where they set up a food stall to serve traditional South Indian food every weekend.

Michelin star chef Johnson Ebenezer, along with his former sous chefs Mythrayie Iyer and Avinash Vishaal, set up an organic farm-to-table dining experience in Bengaluru called FarmLore, which lets guests immerse themselves in everything natural.

The late Floyd Cardoz, master chef and international restauranter, brought different styles of Indian cooking to the global mainstream, while opening multiple successful restaurants and ventures in New York as well as back home in Mumbai.

The science of the tandoor came about during the Indus Valley Civilisation, but was brought to popularity by Shri Kundan Lal Gujral, the founder of Moti Mahal. We map its expedition across history.

Numerous research papers highlight how since ancient times to current ones, mustard has been an effective treatment against colds, coughs and infections of the respiratory tract, among other benefits.

Craving home-cooked food after moving to Bengaluru from Aligarh led Shekhar Mittal to start a food catering business called ‘Maa ka Dulaar’, employing 100+ mothers and homemakers.