Home is where the hearth is

For Natalie J a Google employee the highpoint of her India tour were the two hours she spent having a meal with a local Hyderabadi family ldquoOur host was friendly genuine and open Our group travelled to India for over a week and this was by far my favourite experience Experiencing the life of a local the house the food the family was pricelessrdquo she gushes Natalie J belongs to the new breed of travellers who might put up at fivestar hotels but when it comes to food they prefer the cushy comfort of a local homeA South Indian homecooked mealTherersquos nothing like a homecooked meal Whether one is taking a trip within the country or hopping continents the demand for distinctive local food ranks high on a travellerrsquos list It was on this very premise that entrepreneurs Aashi Vel and Steph Lawrence started Traveling Spoon that connects travellers who are interested in having authentic local food to people who are willing to host them ldquoCooking and sharing a meal together allows people to open up share stories about themselves and learn from others You also realise how similar we all are despite cultural and political differences This makes the world a smaller and happier placerdquo says Vel Steph Lawrence and Vel met during the first week of business school in 2011 at an orientation welcome barbecue and quickly connected on what was for each of them a deeply held passion travelling the world and experiencing new cultures through food ldquoI was in Mexico before starting business school and wished I could eat at the local Mexican womanrsquos home I passed by and hear her stories instead of at yet another touristy restaurant At that time Steph was living in China and wanted to learn how to make dumplings from a Chinese grandmother We quickly teamed up and when we graduated we realized there was nothing more we would rather be doing than building Traveling Spoonrdquo shares VelGeeta and Kamala a motherdaugther duo from Delhi who have hosted travellersAlthough based in San Francisco this venture has centres in over 38 cities including Turkey China and Vietnam They have centres in 12 cities in India and wish to expand their activities in the country ldquoOur hosts in India offer some truly delicious food that you typically wonrsquot find in a restaurant From a typical Tamilian saapad meal of rasam kozhambu kootus and poriyals on a banana leaf to relishing a typical Rajasthani meal of soolas India has a lot to offerrdquo she says While travellers are more than willing to give local food a try the response from hosts has been great Shamim from Cochin who recently hosted a group is thrilled by the experience ldquoRonna Rob Jenny and Rich were such warm friendly people I had a delightful evening talking with them and sharing our travelling experiences I hope they enjoyed the Malabar Muslim cuisine too I would certainly like to host such guests oftenrdquo she saysChoosing a host that would fit the preferences of the traveller is no mean feat ldquoWe have robust technology that takes into consideration details like travellersrsquo food preferences group size budget and food restrictions and preferences before pairing them with the ideal hostrdquo says Vel The hosts are required to go through a vetting process which includes an online video chat followed by an inperson home visit and tasting before their experiences become available through the site The hosts then set their own menu prices and availabilityMumbai which is a melting pot of cultures is soon emerging to be a favourite destination among travellers ldquoEven though Mumbaikars are busy people they still love to eatrdquo says Vel But is quick to add ldquoThe only advice we give our travellers visiting Mumbai homes is to always leave at least 45 minutes 1 hour in advance to account for trafficrdquo