Mallika Basu, a celebrated food commentator and connoisseur whose culinary journey began with restaurant reviews in India. Moving to London, they launched the blog "Quick Indian Cooking" in 2006, published two cookbooks, and founded their own spice brand. Passionate about sustainability, Mallika advocates for transforming food systems to combat climate change. In an interview with Asian Voice, she spokes about her journey, insights on food sustainability, and exciting upcoming projects.
1) Can you tell us about your journey and what inspired you to become a food commentator/ connoisseur?
As a journalist in India in my early career, I was already reviewing restaurants for the national newspaper I worked at. I started my journey in food writing in earnest in 2006 with a blog called Quick Indian Cooking, documenting my trials and tribulations as I taught myself how to cook Indian food alongside a busy London life. I noticed a gap in the market for a fresh face and voice representing the cuisine of India and published two cookbooks. Along the way, I became a spice brand owner myself and discovered the role of food as a force for good. That's what drove me to turn it into my full time career.
2) How do you see the correlation between climate change and people's food habits, and what can we do to educate people about this relationship? Additionally, how do your cooking, storage, and waste management practices reflect sustainable principles?
Healthy, sustainable diets are at the heart of food systems transformation, which is critical given its effect on nature and the climate. The way we produce, distribute, consume and waste food contributes to almost 30% of greenhouse gases. By putting pressure on land to increase production and yield, we've been destroying soil health, biodiversity and depleting natural resources like water. The same eight crops that are most intensively farmed also form the basis for ultra processed foods, which we now know have terrible health implications. We also eat way too much meat, which is a major contributor to greenhouse gases. Add to that the vast quantities of food we waste which have their own carbon footprint when so many go hungry around the world, and no one is winning. People are broadly disengaged from how food is produced, and see it as a source of sustenance, pleasure and joy. Food education will help, but legislation also has a role to play. Consumers are often powerless in the face of sophisticated marketing campaigns and streets lined with poor food offerings.
I am a busy, urban professional and try to do my bit by cooking from scratch as much as possible, limiting our meat consumption at home, and only buying the very best quality of sustainable produce I can afford. I try and save food waste, operating a well organised freezer and doing a fridge clear out every Sunday before restocking. Meal planning helps. And finally, I buy British as much as I can, opting for seasonal products.
3) How do you engage with the community and promote culinary education and sustainability?
Food sustainability as a topic can be quite off putting for people. There is research that shows it actively leads to people switching off. It can also be elitist telling people to eat costlier (or perceived to be costlier) ingredients. I tend to focus on using seasonal produce, showcase ways to reduce food waste and amplify food writers who do great work as a way to promote the good stuff.
4) What role do you think chefs and the food industry play in raising awareness about food sustainability?
Chefs have a huge role to play and many are doing an incredible job, promoting high nutrition products and ingredients like beans, millets and more, repurposing waste creatively and showcasing seasonal produce. Food service, especially high street, mass market ones, have a role to play in reflecting sustainable thinking in their menus, e.g. offering vegetarian and vegan options and making them easy to choose. And then we have food manufacturers who have a tall task ahead, reformulating and learning how to make profits from good food and not junk, making it easier for people to make healthy choices for themselves and the planet.
5) Can you tell us about any upcoming projects or initiatives you’re excited about?
I have recently moved the focus of my Substack newsletter to reflect the work I do on food, people and planet more closely and renamed it In Good Taste. It's a passion project and I have some exciting plans unfolding in that vein that I'm very excited about. I also file recipes for Waitrose and write regularly for Juggernaut, which gives me something to look forward to!
