Chef's Corner

This is one of those categories that I initially thought didn’t belong on my website. I wondered, “What do candles, aprons, masala dabbas, and tea have to do with my spices?” But the idea for this category kept coming up in our family and business discussions, so I began to give it more thought. Eventually, I saw the logic and practicality behind it.

Growing up in India, food and fragrance (incense) were always intertwined. When our cook announced that the food was almost ready, the next thing you’d see was my grandmother getting up from whatever she was doing to light incense and turn on the lights, as dinner was almost always served around sunset. Looking back, these rituals though simple felt incredibly meaningful and spiritually enriching. How could they not be? After all, what is more important than food, family, and fragrance, all enjoyed with the sunset in the background? It was a gentle reminder that while the day was coming to an end, a new one would soon begin.

As the wonderful aromas of food mixed with the fragrance of jasmine or rose incense, we rushed to the dinner table. We didn’t just enjoy the delicious meals prepared by our cook “under my grandmother’s watchful eye”; we also reveled in her storytelling, creating memories that would last a lifetime. I’ve inherited her love of food, fragrance, and family togetherness, which remain central to my life today. Not to mention, her passion for storytelling has even inspired me to become an author.