Asma Khan Says Indian Food Remains Trapped By Fine Dining Stereotypes

India-West News Desk

LOS ANGELES, CA – Celebrity chef and Michelin-recognized Indian British restaurateur Asma Khan has argued that racial bias continues to shape how global cuisines are valued, saying Indian food is still not viewed on par with European fine dining despite its worldwide popularity.

Speaking to comedian Trevor Noah on ‘The Trevor Noah Podcast,’ Khan said cuisines from South Asia, Africa and the Middle East are often dismissed while French and Italian food have long been associated with luxury. She added that Japanese and Korean cuisines have increasingly gained recognition in fine dining, but Indian food continues to face the same stereotypes.

Khan said the issue goes beyond the price of a meal. She argued that fine dining has spent too long celebrating the image of the celebrity chef while overlooking the communities and generations that shaped these culinary traditions. “Our food heritage goes back centuries,” she pointed out about Indian cuisine and others.

Referring to South Asia, Africa and the Middle East, Khan said many of the world’s ingredients, farming practices and cooking traditions trace their roots to those regions. “This is the cradle of civilization,” she said. “So much of what we eat today is because of what happened in our lands,” she said, declaring, “the world eats because of us. In the dust that flies are the souls of these amazing men and women who grew crops. No one is telling their story.”