RASA
A showcase of South Asian food cultures
The Story
RASA — named for the Sanskrit word that means “quintessence” and the sensory pleasure of a meal — was Whetstone Media’s second print publication, launched in 2022. It was the first magazine dedicated exclusively to the foods of South Asia, exploring their intersections with culture, caste, community, and anthropology across India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. It featured deeply researched stories and evocative photography that captured the region’s complexity. The debut issue delved into India’s seaweed biodiversity, the role of milk powder in Sri Lanka’s tea-time rituals during shortages, the journey of Tibetan momos into Kashmir, the theatre of rasam, and the beloved place of anchovies in Nepal’s Gurkha community. At once tender, funny, and deeply personal, RASA set a new standard for telling South Asia’s food stories with journalistic rigour and creative flair.
“The cuisines and culinary traditions of South Asia are unique and distinct, shaped by complex geographic, historic and social factors. Yet they are often clubbed into one broad category in international food media, their nuances flattened in the process. RASA was an attempt to underscore their differences and highlight their commonalities, thereby deepening the discourse on South Asia and its place in the world.”