Podcasts Biscuits and Jam Podcast Meherwan Irani On The Deep Connection Between Food And Community By Sid Evans Sid Evans Sid Evans is the Editor-in-Chief of Southern Living. He is responsible for the editorial vision, direction, and content for the iconic brand. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on May 8, 2024 In This Article View All In This Article About Meherwan Irani What Meherwan Irani Talks About On This Episode Quotes From The Episode About Biscuits & Jam Close Photo: Tim Robison About Meherwan Irani North Carolina chef Meherwan Irani grew up in India, where his family ran a kind of bed and breakfast for spiritual travelers from the West. Meherwan would sometimes play hooky from school to go sample the incredible street food of his hometown, but once he moved to the U.S. for business school, he found little resemblance between the Indian restaurants here and the food of his youth. After 10 years in the luxury car business, he decided to open a restaurant of his own called Chai Pani that brought Indian street food to Asheville, North Carolina, and that was recently named as the most outstanding restaurant in America by the James Beard Foundation. What Meherwan Irani Talks About On This Episode Growing up in India in a multigenerational compoundHis mother and grandmother's influences on his lifeLearning to cookGrowing up in the hospitality businessThe similarities between Indian and Southern culturesHolidays growing up and the food traditionsSkipping school for street food at MG Road, Mahatma Gandhi Road, where the majority of street vendors would set upExperiencing Indian food in AmericaAttending business school in Columbus, South CarolinaWorking in a restaurant in Myrtle Beach, South CarolinaExperience as a car salesmanFinding home in Asheville, North CarolinaWinning a James Beard award Quotes From The Episode "If food doesn't make you nostalgic, I feel like you're missing out on one of the great joys of food. It's the memory, right? I just feel like one of the great gifts food can bring us is memory." - Meherwan Irani Meherwan Irani What it means to be Southern is to have roots. To feel like I've found a place that I belong, and as odd as it is, most people spend a lot of their time wandering, you know, trying to find that place that not only you can own, but also owns you. And to be Southern for me is to not just for me to accept this is where I live, but for the place that I live to accept that this is who I am. And I found that, of all places, in the South. I lived in California for 13 years, and I never felt like I belonged, and I never felt like it accepted me. Whereas when I came here to the South, it was almost instantaneously. I felt like I found a place where I belong, and I found a place that's willing to accept me for who I am. — Meherwan Irani "A restaurant is really a remarkable nexus between a community and a business. I mean, it can't exist without community. It's a space for exactly that, to create community. And so there's a powerful platform to do and be more than, you know, sum of its parts." - Meherwan Irani About Biscuits & Jam In the South, talking about food is personal. It's a way of sharing your history, your family, your culture, and yourself. Each week Sid Evans, editor in chief of Southern Living, sits down with celebrity musicians to hear stories of how they grew up, what inspired them, and how they've been shaped by Southern culture. Sid takes us back to some of their most cherished memories and traditions, the family meals they still think about, and their favorite places to eat on the road. Download and listen to this episode of Biscuits & Jam with Meherwan Irani on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or everywhere podcasts are available. Editor’s Note: Please be mindful that this transcript does not go through our standard editorial process and may contain inaccuracies and grammatical errors Download Transcript Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit