Episode 107: Why the food system is broken and why seasons matter | Asma Khan

This week on Culture Bites, hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews sit down with chef and author Asma Khan during the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature in Dubai.

Born and raised in India, Asma later moved to the UK where she eventually opened her highly acclaimed restaurant, Darjeeling Express. She became the first British chef to be featured on the Netflix documentary series, Chef’s Table. She tells the hosts she insisted her all-female team be featured on the show, as part of her mission to celebrate women, who typically do most of the cooking across cultures but seldom receive enough credit or pay.

Asma also discusses the writing journey and concept of her latest cookbook, Monsoon, which includes recipes that complement the six seasons of her homeland. She explains that growing up in India, she used to know what season it was based on the produce available in the market.

But times have changed significantly and she speaks to Enas and Farah about the impact that year-round ingredients have had on global food systems and vulnerable farmers. Her book, she says, is meant to encourage people to cook with fresh ingredients available to them and share the special gift of home-cooked meals with their loved ones.

The hosts later explore the literary festival and pick up some of the books they’re most looking forward to reading this year.