India, Aug. 8 -- He had his first sip of whisky at age 10. He first tasted a morel while trekking with his father through Nanda Devi National Park. But if there's a recipe that still feels like home, it's chef Auroni Mookerjee's grandmother's Sunday mutton curry. Although food has always been his first love, a detour into journalism, advertising, and storytelling profoundly shaped how he thinks about cuisine, kitchens, and shared meals. From Salt House in Mumbai to Yokocho in Kolkata, chef Mookerjee is driven by the collective unconscious of shared memories and traditions, his Bengali roots, and a pursuit of flavour that tells a story.

Excerpts From The Interview With Auroni Mookerjee T+L India: What was it about food that prompted you ...