Namaste,

Welcome to theroute2roots!

I am Sheetal Bhatt, a culinary chronicler, author, and cultural researcher committed to documenting, preserving, and reviving the traditional foodways of Gujarat. Through my platform theroute2roots, I work at the intersection of food, culture, community, and heritage, bringing visibility to regional cuisines, indigenous ingredients, and everyday cooking practices that are slowly disappearing from our collective memory.

Theroute2roots began as a deeply personal journey, an attempt to honour the dignity of home-cooked food and the wisdom embedded in traditional kitchens. Over time, it has grown into a comprehensive, living archive of Gujarati culinary heritage. Today, the platform documents over 300 regional recipes collected from urban homes, rural households, tribal villages, and remote regions of Gujarat.

Each recipe featured here goes beyond ingredients and method. It carries with it stories of land, seasons, migration, rituals, climate, and lived experience. Some dishes are still cooked daily; others are prepared only during festivals or seasons; many have never crossed their regional or cultural boundaries. Several rely on foraged greens, wild vegetables, edible flowers, heritage grains, or cooking techniques that are now rarely practised.

What started as an individual effort has gradually evolved into a collaborative archive, enriched by contributions from home cooks, elders, farmers, and community custodians across Gujarat. I am deeply invested in ensuring that every recipe is documented within its cultural, seasonal, and geographical context, and reproduced with care and authenticity—so that its flavour, intent, and history remain intact.

Beyond documentation, theroute2roots actively engages with audiences through workshops, curated culinary retreats, and immersive food experiences. These experiences focus on cooking heritage recipes from scratch, using heirloom and seasonal ingredients sourced directly from local farmers and small food producers. They are designed to foster a deeper understanding of regional cuisines while promoting mindful consumption and responsible food tourism.

As a rice storyteller, I also research and document Gujarat’s indigenous rice varieties through Shalikuta, a collaborative initiative dedicated to gathering facts, histories, and community narratives around India’s heritage rice. This work highlights the role of traditional grains in biodiversity, food security, and cultural identity.

At the heart of my work lies immersive, field-based research, learning in home kitchens, travelling to remote villages, listening to octogenarians eager to pass on their culinary wisdom, cooking alongside community women, and observing everyday food practices in their most natural settings. I photograph, document, and cook these dishes myself, ensuring that each story is told with integrity and respect.

People often connect with my work for its honest storytelling, visual documentation, and unpretentious approach to food. My photographs aim to make everyday cooking visible and valued, while my writing encourages readers to appreciate local ingredients, seasonal eating, and the richness of home-cooked meals.

Through theroute2roots and my book Silent Cuisines, my larger purpose is to ensure that Gujarat’s traditional food knowledge, especially from its remote corners, is not lost to time, but recognised as living heritage worthy of pride, preservation, and celebration.

You are warmly invited to be part of this journey, of people, places, kitchens, and the many stories food carries across our diverse land.