Photos by Content Volunteers, Neetha and Mohit, and Member, Rhea.
HOST
CO-HOST
CONTENT VOLUNTEER
The experience was truly amazing!
Disha
Meeting people who love food and the stories that come with it is so special. I’m already looking forward to the next meetup and planning what I’ll bring.
Khushboo
There was no airs, no prejudice, just one common feeling—love and respect for food.
Bency
This indigenous Pahadi mustard from Uttarakhand, called Jakhya, grows wild in the region. Traditionally used in local cooking, especially when tempering dals and leafy greens, it adds a crunchy, earthy taste to dishes.
A full Bohri thaal brought by Maria, which took over 16 hours to prepare!
The Monsoon Wall had everyone doodling with complete focus and enthusiasm, turning rainy-day cravings and childhood memories into sketches and scribbles.
MEET YOUR HOST
What does local mean to you?
‘Local’ is synonymous with the feeling of being grounded. Of being rooted in rituals, silent ecosystems, and mundane interactions that seamlessly shape our everyday surroundings.
My mother making stuffed parathas with everything you can possibly imagine. This was her hack to nourish a picky eater who didn’t know how to appreciate variety yet, and it is a practice I’ve carried into my adulthood.
And it is opening doors to connect one person, one home, and one community to another, through the passage of our kitchens. Ensuring that there’s always a seat at the table for everyone.
Tender jackfruit—understated, a little unexpected, and something that works best when invited into the right setting. Jackfruit knows it can’t be everyone’s favourite, but when utilised with intent and paired with the right ingredients, it’s bound to contribute positively.
It’s idli and ketchup. When I brought it up during the LFC meetup, a small group of people cheered me on and validated this combination!
My Local Food Club has already achieved what I would expect it to—community, shared warmth, and an authenticity that comes through when people bring their entire selves to a cause. As someone who has had the honour of sticking around for all three LFC meetups in Mumbai so far, experiencing how the energy has gotten progressively richer has moved me deeply.
But my vision as a member and cheerleader for LFC is to see it accommodate people from backgrounds beyond what this space is right now. While we can engage with food cultures through what we read and consume, it is important to bring people with undocumented lived experiences around food together in the same room. As a dedicated member of LFC in my city, my hope is to help it grow by expanding my own scope of understanding, being endlessly accommodating, listening better, and gently encouraging others to do the same.