Food as Medicine with Chef Rajesh Sharma

Up North India, near the city of Dehradun, Chef Rajesh is reinventing the world of food and hospitality. 

Leading the culinary offering and culture at Vana, a beautiful temple of healing at the foothills of the Himalayas, Chef Rajesh Sharma has pushed the understanding of “food as medicine” to the next level. 

Locally sourced, organic, vibrant, generous, fresh (all is made à la minute, throughout the day), perfectly executed and essentially based on the principles of Ayurveda, the art and science behind Rajesh’s food connects all the dots, meeting anyone exactly where they are, from their cultures and backgrounds, medical conditions and body constitutions, moods and freedom.

His food chain and supply are all based on years long connections and relationships with farmers and communities around.

His work and collaborations with Ayurvedic and Tibetan doctors have brought forth a powerful earth body synergy, celebrating the seasons, the elements, the rhythms, the journeys.

In this conversation, Chef Rajesh shares about his story, his love for home cooking, the ingredients, travel and India, fear and misunderstandings when it comes to health and food, reconciliation and connection.

The Vana cookbook (10 years in the making) has just been released, like an act of revelation, a march for revolution. It is called Anayu, meaning food (Anna) and life (Ayu).

I am so grateful for Chef Rajesh’s voice and nourishment.