India, Aug. 17 -- For chef Gayatri Desai, food as a calling found expression while exploring the fertile belts of the Sahyadris in Maharashtra, wandering Japanese hamlets, and foraging the forests of Northeast India. Every journey, lesson, and discovery culminated in the founding of Ground Up-a fermentation-forward experimental kitchen in Pune. Rooted in the philosophy of creating everything from scratch, Desai's mission is simple: to preserve knowledge and food traditions of tribes and foragers and bring wild foods beyond the forest and onto the table. In conversation with Travel+Leisure India & South Asia, the chef reflects on her journey so far and why preserving age-old techniques matters now more than ever.

Excerpts From The Intervi...