Traveling opens up window to the world. Stories of men, of their highs and lows, of their struggles and success, of their mellow and harsh self, show us a new perspective to view the world from. We discover places and people, but all these stories shape your soul and lead you to that rendezvous woth yourself.
People change when they travel. They discover their passion, fight their demons, conquer their fears, realize their potentials. Here is an interesting individual, who found his love for food during his travels and went on to introduce these exceptional cuisines to the people that he knew. The tale did not end there. This led him to find the gloomier side of the story, where people struggled to fill their stomach every day and moved by their tales, he went on to feed the needy from the surplus of the rich. In conversation with Aravind Haridas, whose brainchild Delicious Kerala tells you of the beauty in unique flavors and dishes, and his social effort, Hungerless Kerala that helps the needy find their daily bread.
Could you brief us about yourself?
My journey as a digital creator started in early 2019 through Delicious Kerala. My ultimate aim was to introduce random cuisines to people which gradually paved the way to initiate Hungerless Kerala. Eventually, I’ve had my focus on travel and exploration which gave me an abundance of opportunities to have a hand at various social events.
When did it occur to you that you had a flair for food exploration and travel?
Initially, I was keenly interested in visual media & photography. Gently I have shifted my focus into food ever since I have started traveling around the globe. So far I have traveled around many countries where I could try out their traditional and authentic dishes. Thereafter I have explored different cuisines and became more thoughtful about food. Rather than exploring I always wanted to introduce them to normal people. It might be the reason why I have immersed myself more into this field.
How did you conceive the idea of Delicious Kerala? Was there a particular event that made you think of starting this?
There are no particular events or stories behind Delicious Kerala. It spontaneously happened to be a part of my career. As mentioned before, it might be my fortunate travel that made me start such a venture.
Could you give us a glimpse of your initiative, Hungerless Kerala?
Delicious Kerala aims to spread awareness about some fabulous and authentic dishes and food spots along with some new recipes. Hungerless Kerala is a visionary initiative by Delicious Kerala to help the marginalized social category. In this journey, I got to know about different restaurants and their culture, starting from five start hotels to the so-called thattukada. I have enjoyed all the kinds of food they served with love. Eventually, I realized that hunger is the one triggering factor that all of us have and still there are people around us who survive with this hunger. While visiting different hotels I understood that a lot of unused food is wasted on a daily basis. They either dump it or burn it away. Then I started thinking about collecting this food and serving it to the poor !! That’s where Hungerless Kerala was born! With the support of some of my friends, I have started collecting food from different hotels and serving it to the needy. I have already initiated and practiced it in Kochi and Trivandrum with the help of some volunteers. We are thoughtful enough to recreate a potent version of Hugerless Kerala during the post covid period. I hope that we will be able to get back soon from this pandemic situation.
Can you identify a particular event or period that helped your growth as a food blogger?
One of the major advantages of being a digital creator is that we will always be invited to various social events that are worth being a part of it. It can really add value to our professional networking. Knowing different people from distinct parts has helped me to evolve more in social gatherings.
From your travels around the globe and within the country, trying out cuisines and sharing stories and experiences, is there a particular tale that has influenced you deeply?
No such tales have influenced me so far. But I believe that it made me more conscious to think and prioritize.
Give us a sneak peek into your team at Delicious Kerala. How did you meet them?
We don’t have a team as such. I myself took control of all the responsible outcomes.
Is this your first venture? If yes, what were the difficulties that you faced in executing this idea?
This is not my first venture. So I have handled quite well to overcome such barriers.
What are your future plans for Delicious Kerala? Where do you see yourself in another five years?
Delicious Kerala is not a pre-planned success it eventually happened. I personally believe that instead of planning the whole future we have to reinforce our present days in the most effective way.
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