Eating Food Without Mindful Intent, A Universal Error: Ranveer Brar

On the eve of ‘Festival of Wellbeing’, conducted by BW Wellbeing World on the 26th November at Imperial, celebrity chef, Ranveer Brar enlightened the crowd by speaking on Food, Wellbeing and Mindfulness- how to change via mindful eating.

“With the emotion that you cook and eat food, is what you become as you consume it, it’s a universal law,” said Chef Ranveer as he spoke about his passion for cooking food. He reveals that his love for cooking also has a connection to his spiritual side, which evolved when he used to see people cook Langar at Gurudwara. A ‘Nishkam Seva’ or a selfless service is what that has made him change his perspective towards the whole process of cooking and offering food.

Explaining the significance of the word ‘Rasoi’, he said that finger is a rasa and the juice, essence or taste of the food consumed comes when it is cooked with hand and is also eaten with the hand itself. He said, “Eating food without mindful intent is the most basic universal error that one can do.” He said the intent could be anything like devotion or love but to not have a positive intention while consuming the food, will not give you the right way of living life. Chef Brar said that an oblation from any Religion tastes good because it has been cooked with a devotional intent.

Talking about his realisation after his years of cooking experience, he said, “cooking is not a business of feeding people’s stomach, it is a business of feeding people sense, as it is an art which stimulates all the sense when consumed.”

“To appreciate food, one is required to take a pause”, said Chef Brar whilde sharing his stance over fasting culture. He said, just as silence and pause has an utmost importance in music, the same way it is important to take pauses while eating, because if people do not take a pause, they won’t be able to appreciate anything related to food.

On answering about what future plans he has ahead after becoming a successful cook, he said that he goes by things that gives him happiness and the things that he could do on his own way. He further makes it certain that he loves cooking and will continue to cook with his own charismatic style.