Last Thursday, Dadar’s homely Maharashtrian eatery `Aaswad` had to say a metaphoric goodbye to one of its most enthusiastic gastronomes—former American Consul General David Ranz has returned home to New York, suitcases full of tribal art, Ganesha idols, saffron boxes, photographs taken in wildlife sanctuaries and a hankering for hot vada pav.

Of the three years he spent here, two were marked by the pandemic. And yet, so far in just this year, he has been on 12 trips, most including a round of a forest reserve. In charge of the five states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh, Ranz tasted as much as possible of the street food, tribal art, and unique business models that integrated the disenfranchised into the local economy.