I enjoy cooking, sharing meals with family and friends, and discovering new flavours. I value a simple peasant dish as much as a refined French dinner in Paris. I love street markets, chopping coriander, and eating a good thali with my hands in southern India. But, as Bourdain used to say, I am always hungry for more. My interest in food goes beyond aesthetic, hedonistic, or sensory pleasure, and even beyond its role in sustaining life. It lies mainly in its cultural and social dimensions. Travel, working as a cook in different countries, and academic study exposed me to diverse food cultures and the many roles food plays in people's lives. I came to realise that the more a meal reflects a genuine social and cultural experience, the richer it becomes. I also learned to respect the labour behind food preparation, whether in professional or domestic kitchens. Allowing my curiosity, work, senses, and intellect to roam freely, I eventually encountered the notion of foodscape—the idea that food is never just what is on the plate, but also the people, places, histories, and relationships that give it meaning.