Cooking is not about satisfying hunger, but it is an emotion to almost every single desi household. It is about carrying the recipes for generations together and passing this culture on to the future.
Be it very simple comfort food like Dhal chaaval, Poha or Rasam or an elaborate Thali or the most complex of dishes like Banana Flower or Raj Kachori, food is the most important way to one’s heart.
While we consider cooking to be a very complex task, plating them is an equally important task which makes the food more visually appealing and inviting. Many of our parents and ancestors have travelled far and wide to source the right utensils to cook and serve.
Most important we cannot forget how the trade routes were built. The spice trade dates back over 4,000 years, with evidence of spices like cinnamon and cassia being transported to the Middle East as early as 2000 BCE.
Spices such as black pepper, cardamom, ginger, turmeric, cloves, and nutmeg were highly sought after and traversed vast distances via intricate trade networks. These included overland routes like the Silk Road and maritime paths across the Indian Ocean. Arab traders played a pivotal role, acting as intermediaries between Asian spice producers and European markets
The high demand for spices led to significant economic activity and even conflicts, as nations vied for control over spice-producing regions. The trade facilitated not only the exchange of goods but also ideas, culinary techniques, and cultural practices, enriching societies along the trade routes.
Having a country as Multicultural as Australia which calls it a home to over 200 nationalities, there cannot be a better place to explore the varied cultural cuisine than here.
And what is more exciting is having an interview with many of our Australian MasterChef contestants with our very own inhouse journalist Suk!
Stay tuned for the interview and do reach out to us if you want Suk to ask any particular question to any of the contestants.
MasterChef Australia: Back to Win continues Sunday at 7pm, and Monday to Wednesday at 7:30pm on 10 and 10 Play. Don’t miss to watch.
As an experienced media and communications professional, I serve as Advisor to:
-Digital Journalists Association of India (DIJAI)
-Sansad Ratna Awards, which honour top-performing Indian MPs.
-PreSense, India’s oldest volunteer-run digital magazine.
In Australia, I host shows for Radio Bollywood Beats and Friends World TV, highlighting diaspora voices and changemakers.
I am the Global Head of Partnerships and Australian Ambassador for Mission ShakthiSAT—the world’s first all-female-led space initiative—I help empower over 12,000 young women across 108 countries, with a strong focus on mentoring students in science journalism.
