Ep12: Chapati, Roti, Flatbread, or Food Trend?

In this episode of Chai & Chat, Sundari and Ranjit explore the humble chapati, and ask what happens when traditional foods are repackaged as the latest social media food trend.

From chapatis, rotis and dosas to Middle Eastern and South Indian flatbreads, we reflect on how food travels across borders, changes names, and becomes part of global food culture. But when a chapati is simply called a “flatbread”, or a traditional recipe is presented as something newly invented, do we lose some of the culture, history and meaning behind it?

Sundari shares memories of food, family and cooking with her grandmother, bringing in her South Indian and Malaysian influences, while Ranjit reflects on how familiar foods can be made to feel unfamiliar when they are rebranded online. Together, we discuss authenticity, appropriation, appreciation and whether changing the name of a dish makes it more accessible, or risks erasing its roots.

We also look at the richness of traditional foods, including fermented rice dishes, dosas, puttu and other staples that are naturally gluten-free, vegan, practical and full of history. A warm, funny and thoughtful conversation about food, identity, memory and why the story behind what we eat matters just as much as the taste.

Big shout out to Dosa Hut in Wolverhampton, Chennai Dosa chain, as well as Shana parathas and Huma parathas, which you could purchase from Asda, Texo. Ocado, Sainsburys…everywhere.