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Ranveer Brar: Harvest Food Feels Earned When You Grow Up on a Farm

Celebrity chef Ranveer Brar explains that his childhood in a farming family gave harvest festivals a profound, non-symbolic meaning rooted in effort and patience. He describes how this upbringing taught him that ingredients are "outcomes" and that harvest food carries emotions of recovery and gratitude. Brar recalls memories of collective cooking and sharing after long days in the fields, highlighting food's communal nature. He concludes that harvest cuisine is an honest form of storytelling, embodying the climate, labour, and uncertainty of the land.

Key Points: Chef Ranveer Brar on the Real Meaning of Harvest Festivals

  • Harvest festivals are real, not symbolic
  • Food is linked to effort and patience
  • Ingredients are outcomes, not products
  • Harvest meals are about communal sharing
2 min read

Ranveer Brar: 'When you grow up in a farming family, harvest food feels earned'

Celebrity chef Ranveer Brar shares how his farming family upbringing shapes his cooking philosophy and the deep emotional connection to harvest food.

Ranveer Brar: 'When you grow up in a farming family, harvest food feels earned'
"When you grow up in a farming family, harvest food feels earned. - Ranveer Brar"

Mumbai, Jan 13

Celebrity chef Ranveer Brar says harvest festivals in India go far beyond symbolism, as they are deeply tied to effort, patience, and the realities of life on the farm.

Coming from a farming family, Brar shared that his childhood was shaped by the rhythms of agriculture.

"I come from a farming family, so for me, harvest festivals were never symbolic; they were real. I grew up around farms, watching crops grow, watching the mood of the house change depending on how the season went. Food was directly linked to effort, weather, and patience," Ranveer told IANS.

He said that the upbringing shapes how he cooks even today.

"You learn early that ingredients are not products, they're outcomes."

Speaking about harvest delicacies that are close to his heart, Brar said dishes made from freshly harvested grains and greens carry a different emotion altogether.

He said: "When you grow up in a farming family, harvest food feels earned. For me, dishes made from freshly harvested grains and greens always hit differently - especially winter food like saag, makki ki roti, simple dals. These dishes were never about indulgence; they were about recovery, nourishment, and gratitude after months of labour."

Recalling a childhood memory that continues to inspire him, Brar spoke about how harvest meals were often cooked collectively.

"One memory that stays with me is how harvest meals were cooked collectively. After long days in the fields, food was prepared in large quantities, shared, and tasted by many hands. There was no rush, no plating, just relief and togetherness."

Growing up in such an environment taught him that food is inherently communal.

Brar also believes harvest cuisine is the most honest form of food storytelling, in India and across the world.

"Harvest cuisine cannot lie. When you've grown up close to farms, you know every dish carries climate, labour, and uncertainty within it. There's humility built into that food. Whether it's in India or anywhere else in the world, harvest cuisine tells you what the land went through that year."

Chef Ranveer Brar is currently seen on MasterChef India, which airs on Sony Entertainment Television and Sony Liv. The reality show this time has introduced a unique jodi format.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
As someone whose family still farms in Uttar Pradesh, I appreciate a celebrity chef acknowledging this reality. For many of us, festivals like Lohri or Pongal are not just fun and dance. They mark the end of immense physical struggle and uncertainty. The food truly feels earned.
M
Michael C
Interesting perspective from Chef Brar. In the West, we often see "farm-to-table" as a trendy restaurant concept. He's talking about it as a lived, emotional experience. The idea that food "cannot lie" about the year's climate is a powerful way to think about what we eat.
A
Anjali F
While I love his sentiment, I do wish he'd use his platform more to talk about the current crisis farmers are facing. The romanticism of harvest is beautiful, but the harsh economics need attention too. Still, it's good to see our culinary roots being celebrated.
K
Karthik V
"Ingredients are not products, they're outcomes." What a brilliant line! This is the mindset we are losing in our urban, packaged-food lives. We need to teach this to our kids. The patience and respect for the process is everything.
S
Sarah B
The part about collective cooking and sharing really struck me. It's a beautiful contrast to the isolated, rushed meals we often have now. There's a lesson there about community and slowing down. Makes me want to host a big harvest-style dinner!

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