BENGALURU: In a world where perfectly staged food photos dominate social media feeds, Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee and Illustrator Cheyenne Oliver are offering something refreshingly different with their latest book, Chhaunk.
Instead of glossy, meticulously styled images, Indian-American economist Banerjee at the Bangalore Literature Fest on Sunday, said that they have chosen to use vibrant illustrations that capture the real essence of food—not just as an item on a plate, but as a shared experience that connects people.
Following the success of his previous work, ‘Cooking to Save Your Life’, Banerjee found inspiration for ‘Chhaunk’ in a more accessible and human-centered approach to food. While ‘Cooking to Save Your Life’ was a refined, high-end production, it was also met with limited appeal due to its high cost. With ‘Chhaunk’, Banerjee and Oliver set out to create something more grounded, something that resonated with everyday readers, celebrating food in a way that everyone could relate to.
“We did not want to just create a coffee-table book. We wanted to reflect the reality of food, its cultural richness, and the joy it brings when shared with others,” Banerjee said.
For Oliver, the decision to illustrate rather than photograph was born out of a desire to allow room for interpretation. “Photographs don’t leave much to the imagination. You know exactly how it’s supposed to look. But with illustrations, you have more freedom to express the atmosphere, the people, the moments that food creates,” she said.
Much of the book’s artwork shifts the focus from food alone to the people around it—cooking together, sharing meals, cleaning up afterward. According to Oliver, the social aspects of food were central to their vision. “It’s about more than just the food. It’s about the conversations, the connections, the quiet moments between people, whether in the kitchen or at the dining table,” she mentioned.
Humour, too, plays an important role in Banerjee’s writing. Known for his witty observations, he humorously challenges the rigid, scientific approach often associated with cooking. “How many of you have ever cut an onion by measuring it by the size of your earlobe?” Banerjee jokes in his earlier book. But as he explains, it’s not about the humour—it’s about cutting through the pretension of exact measurements. “Cooking is not about precision. It’s about realness. It’s about trusting your senses and making something that feels right,” he said.
The book also delves into the complexities of globalisation’s impact on food culture. Banerjee addresses the tension between popularisation and the dilution or misappropriation of culinary traditions. He emphasises that cultures have always influenced each other, and the beauty of food lies in this fluid exchange, not in rigid ownership or control. In the end, Chhaunk is not just a cookbook—it’s an exploration of the connections, laughter, and shared moments that happen around the table. Through illustrations that tell a deeper story, Banerjee and Oliver invite readers to rediscover the joy of food as a communal experience.