Engage with these unique online, offline mediums to deep-dive into its universe

In a world crowded with paid reels and fleeting ldquohidden gemsrdquo a new wave of storytellers is building something deeper mdash communities and conversations that outlast the scroll They are turning food media on its head swapping glossy features for potlucks replacing trends with truthtelling and using listening gathering questioning and debunking as their tools What emerges is more than content itrsquos a living dialogue where Indiarsquos food culture is reimagined mdash not just as what we eat but how we connect remember and make sense of the world around our plateTASTEldquoWe didnrsquot set out to build what Edible Issues is todayrdquo says its cofounder Elizabeth Yorke What began in 2018 as a simple newsletter a way to stay connected to Indiarsquos food system while on a global fellowship has grown into a collective shaping how we think about food in India At the time global conversations around plantbased diets or ldquofuture foodsrdquo felt disconnected from Indiarsquos culinary traditions and everyday realities The newsletter became a way of asking what do these global shifts mean in the Indian context It had only a few hundred subscribersElizabeth YorkeThe first public event lsquoWhat is the Future of Foodrsquo at The Bombay Canteen in 2018 revealed a hunger for spaces where chefs farmers researchers entrepreneurs and eaters could connect across silos ldquoFood systems arenrsquot a single industry mdash they intersect with policy climate culture and community mdash and Edible Issues needed to reflect that complexity The challenge then and now has been definition many still see it as just a newsletter but it has grown into a collective for dialogue experiments and participatory projects evolving in response to the needs of those working in food systemsrdquo says cofounder Anusha MurthyldquoIt started as two people writing a newsletter and became a collective curating events archiving stories facilitating workshops and convening conferencesrdquo adds Yorke These formats emerged organically inspired by the energy of chefs farmers researchers policy thinkers artists and organisers who wanted to build something together That growth mdash from newsletter to movement mdash is both their biggest surprise and their most significant source of energyFor Edible Issues all edible issues are urgent Itrsquos not about solving one problem but keeping critical conversations alive What does it mean to demand biodiversity or millets from overburdened farmers How does quick commerce shape urban food habits Who owns the data from food platforms How will climate change alter our staples and meals The urgency lies in asking these questions and creating spaces for farmers eaters policymakers and technologists to wrestle with them togetherAnusha MurthyTaste is central to their approach A banana tasting with 22 varieties sparked discussions on trade monocropping biodiversity and climate change turning abstract issues into something personal sensory and immediateIndiarsquos food stories stand out for their diversity of crops cuisines ecologies and communities yet they echo global concerns about resilience equity and innovation By using tastings archives and participatory projects Edible Issues ensures these stories are felt not just told Today the collective unites collaborators from design policy nutrition education journalism art and culinary worlds signalling a strong appetite for deeper creative conversations around food in IndiaLooking ahead Edible Issues sees itself not as a voice with answers but as a space for collective questioning At home it amplifies Indiarsquos food stories rooted in biodiversity and community knowledge globally it connects Indiarsquos systems to wider conversations on climate culture and justicemdashbecause what happens here shapes food futures everywhereLISTENJournalist Smitha Menon often saw long engaging interviews with chefs and food personalities reduced to a few lines to fit word limits Her podcast Big Food Energy became a space to fuel curiosity and dive deeper into Indiarsquos food stories ldquoItrsquos not about one medium being more powerful than another Someone might read a 3000word feature one day listen to a 45minute podcast the next or scroll through reels another Storytelling is about finding fresh relevant ways to connectrdquoJournalist Smitha Menon delves deeper with her podcast interviewing industry stalwarts like Riyaaz Amlani left AD Singh centreThis seasonrsquos guests champion Indiarsquos food story in distinct ways mdash from AD Singh and Riyaaz Amlani who are building Indiafocused concepts and advocating better governance to chefs like Himanshu Saini and Ritu Dalmia who are pushing culinary boundaries abroad Backed by deep research and medium expertise from her Maed in India team conversations go beyond the obvious For instance Chef Saransh Goila discussed scaling his food brand while leveraging his creator personality for business Akhil Iyer Benne and Kavan Kuttappa Naru Noodle Bar revealed surprising parallels between dosa and ramenldquoFor years Indiarsquos food story carried the weight of colonial hangovers and an inferiority complex Today with our growing cultural confidence the focus is shifting to regional specialities revealing the true depth of our cuisine Taking pride in our traditions and sharing them with younger generations and the world places Indian food on the same stage as French Italian or Japaneserdquo she says Voices like those of New York Times journalist Priya Krishna and Swiggyrsquos Rohit Kapoor on the podcast signal this shift Indian cuisine is shaping global food culture and economySaransh Goila Pics Big Food EnergyMenon has long been conscious of maintaining editorial independence in a media landscape where stories often blur into brand plugs What began as a personal experiment has grown into a niche but influential platform Beyond food enthusiasts entrepreneurs from other industries now tune in drawing lessons from conversations with FampB leaders Diaspora stories such as a listener in Indonesia hauling an entire suitcase of Mota Chips for family illustrate how food serves as a powerful memory The podcastsrsquo audience extends beyond India the US and the UK reaching Canada Ireland Vietnam and beyond Menon doesnrsquot obsess over downloads but tracks geography repeat listens and duration to understand her audience For her success lies less in numbers than in impactmdashsparking curiosity preserving traditions and building community around Indiarsquos evolving food cultureATTENDSince its launch in May 2025 the Local Food Club has brought hundreds together on the first Sunday of every month at locally led volunteerrun free events Whatrsquos most heartening is how naturally the movement spreads mdash not through marketing but word of mouth ldquoThe Local Food Club began with a simple question mdash how do we bring people closer to what they eatrdquo says founder Thomas Zacharias At The Locavore they realised that real change starts not just with farmers or chefs but with everyday eaters many of whom have drifted from foodrsquos origins Today the Club counts nearly 5000 members across more than 200 towns and cities mdash from Mumbai Bengaluru and Delhi to smaller ones like Bhubaneswar Bhopal Thiruvananthapuram and Dahanu People attend once return as facilitators and often bring friends and neighbours proving the desire to connect through food has always existed it just needed a welcoming space and a shared table to flourishThomas Zacharias builds communities through the Local Food ClubEach month a national theme mdash Know Your Desi Ingredients Cooking Without Waste or Monsoon Memories mdash links meetups through WhatsApp groups inviting members to rediscover whatrsquos around them from kitchens to local markets Drawing inspiration from partner producers and grassroots organisations the Club highlights seasonal climateresilient and culturally rooted ingredients such as wild greens forest honey heritage rice and millets ldquoThe idea isnrsquot to dictate what anyone should cook but to spark curiosityrdquo says ZachariasldquoEach city interprets the theme differently reminding us that lsquolocalrsquo is many worlds coexisting on the same platerdquoOver time gatherings evolve into selfled communities that host ingredient swaps storytelling sessions farmer visits and social initiatives Here strangers leave as friends bonded by flavours and memories Grandmotherrsquos spice blends spark crossgenerational conversations and familiar wild greens inspire culinary experiments All this while the Locavorersquos website documents stories and dishes building a living archive of Indiarsquos shared food cultureLooking ahead the Club aims to shift the focus from consumption to participation promoting acts of sustainability through shared meals ingredient swaps and simply being present Zacharias thinks of it as a growing network of local changemakers mdash quietly reshaping Indiarsquos food culture The dream is simple a Local Food Club in every neighbourhood changing the world one potluck at a timeUNDERSTANDWhen Krish Ashok wrote Masala Lab in 2020 on the insistence of his publisher he reluctantly launched an Instagram account and a YouTube channel What began as a marketing exercise took on a life of its ownKrish Ashok busts myths backing it with high school science on his insta handle Masala Lab making you think everything the controversial media wants you to believeldquoAs I started sharing ideas about the science of cooking I realised the internet was full of fear around trivial thingsrdquo he recalls ldquoIrsquod explain how to use a microwave and people would respond with lsquoOh my God microwaves cause cancerrsquo Thatrsquos when it struck me to not just share cooking science but also use basic highschool science to debunk misinformationrdquoToday the Masala Lab page has eclipsed the book itself reaching over 11 million followers on Instagram and another 250000 on YouTube In just two and a half years Ashok has created nearly 500 videos demonstrating a growing appetite for credible and accessible science communicationKrish AshokAt the heart of his work is a simple belief there are no shortcuts to health ldquoThe most fundamental myth on social media is that quick fixes workrdquo he says ldquoReplace sugar with jaggery donrsquot eat leftovers avoid the freezer mdashpeople think these small tweaks will make them healthy However the truth is that eating less over time exercising regularly adding more protein and fibre and reducing carbs and fats are essential In an Indian diet thatrsquos especially toughrdquoAshok traces his approach to teaching ldquoThe best way to learn something is to explain it to others Teaching isnrsquot just about mastering content mdash itrsquos about empathy If you can explain cellular biology to both a sevenyearold and a 70yearold you truly understand itrdquo That ethos shapes his videos which aim to break down complex topics into simple joyful explanationsHe urges audiences to be sceptical of sensational claims ldquoIf someone says lsquoThis is something yoursquove never been toldrsquo be suspicious In a world of peerreviewed publishing itrsquos almost impossible that valid science was kept hidden from you A YouTube video or blog post is just content Real science is evidencerdquo Despite his popularity Ashok is clear about his role ldquoIrsquom not here to give health advice mdash Irsquom not qualified I see myself as a science communicator who helps people discover the joy of scientific thinking apply common sense and feel less anxious about food