The session began with Kena Shree sharing alarming statistics showing how only 6.1% of men were involved in home cooking while 96.1% of chefs in professional kitchens were men. The vast difference that exists between the participation of men on two different fronts in the same activity says a lot about us as a society. As writer Ravinder Singh has rightly said, “Stereotypes are so hardwired into our minds. Men are humiliated for cooking.” Historian Rana Safavi also recounts how cooks and professional cooks were men in the Mughal and British empires. While women were given separate kitchens, men’s kitchens were placed higher in the hierarchy, reinforcing the notion that “when women do it, it is their duty, but when men do it, it is an art.” Is.”
Adding to Safavi’s point, Chef Shipra Khanna spoke about the gender gap in the hospitality industry even today. Giving her a piece of mind about the gaps that still exist in terms of gender in the culinary industry, she talked about how discrepancies were and were dealt with as leaders of women in high positions. She also shared a personal experience where she faced the ‘shock’ that a female head chef and boss would induce in a male. Chef Shipra said, “You need the help of men to lift big, heavy utensils and cooking equipment, but there’s nothing a woman can’t do.” He also said that the change was slow but sure and that he is happy to see it.
Contributing to the discussion, Chef Jaynandan Bhaskar talks about his progressive upbringing, where both his parents used to cook and how they, as a family, were bound by food. He also discussed how he ensured equal sex ratio in his professional kitchen and his love for food which he largely credits to his parents and motherland Lucknow.
The discussion was followed by a brief cooking session, exclusively with Chef Bhaskar in which he shared recipes for two simple dishes that anyone can make.
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