Delhi Food Awards 2026 To Host Conversations On Food, Tourism, And Digital Storytelling

Food does more than fill a plate; it carries the memory of people and places. Recipes travel through generations, picking up stories along the way, whether it is families in North Africa gathering over couscous, Japan’s careful attention to seasonal eating, or the vast range of regional cuisines across India, from Tamil homes to Kashmiri kitchens. What we eat is shaped by land, climate, migration, and belief, which is why no two communities cook in quite the same way. In that sense, every dish becomes a marker of identity, reflecting where people come from and how they live, while also bringing others to the table to share, learn, and connect.

That spirit carries into the Delhi Food Awards 2026, the fourth edition of the event hosted by Delhi Food Walks. Set to take place on March 28, 2026, from 4 pm onwards at Le Méridien New Delhi, the event brings together chefs, historians, journalists, and digital creators to talk about Delhi’s food culture in all its complexity.

The awards began in 2018, when food vlogger and Founder of Delhi Food Walks, Anubhav Sapra, set out to move the spotlight beyond fine dining and recognise the full spectrum of how the city eats. The idea was to acknowledge everyone, from street vendors preserving recipes that have survived for generations to chefs and storytellers shaping modern tastes, and to document Delhi’s evolving food culture across communities and classes.

A Gathering Beyond The Plate

This year’s discussions reflect that wide lens. The first panel, on food and tourism, looks at how culinary experiences shape the way people travel and understand a place. It is moderated by Sourish Bhattacharyya, a veteran with four decades in journalism and co-author of ‘The Bloomsbury Handbook of Indian Cuisine’. He is joined by Davinder Kumar, a National Tourism Award winner with over 50 years of experience, who serves as Vice President at Le Méridien New Delhi and President of the Indian Culinary Forum, and has long worked to take Indian cuisine to a global audience.

Also on the panel is Karan Marwah, founder of FOODelhi and an early voice in India’s influencer space, who has spent over a decade working on digital food communication, including collaborations with the Italian Embassy on culinary diplomacy. Alongside him is Kartikeya Shankar, Associate Editor at Outlook Traveller, who writes about the intersection of travel, culture, and communities, often focusing on how local food traditions shape the experience of a destination.

Talking about how food serves as a fundamental operator for both global and domestic travel, Anindita Ghosh, Editor, Outlook Traveller, said, “Food has evolved into a primary driver of travel, with destinations increasingly chosen for their culinary identity—whether it’s street food trails in Delhi, wine tourism in Napa Valley, or sushi culture in Tokyo. From local markets to curated food festivals, cuisine shapes itineraries, deepens cultural engagement, and plays a central role in both global and domestic tourism”.

The second panel turns to Delhi’s own layered food history, tracing its journey from Mughal kitchens to what is now known as modern Indian cuisine. Moderated by Neha Vermani, a historian and Honorary Fellow at Durham University who studies the cultural and material history of Mughal South Asia, the conversation looks at how older food practices continue to shape identity today.

She is joined by Manish Mehrotra, widely regarded as a pioneer of modern Indian gastronomy and former Culinary Director of Indian Accent and Comorin, now behind NISABA at Sunder Nursery. Also part of the panel is G Sri Ramya, who leads research-driven storytelling at Bruite Magazine, with projects like “The Sound of Food” created in collaboration with the University of Oxford, reaching audiences across the world. Rounding off the discussion is Charmaine O’Brien, an Australian historian and author of ‘Flavours of Delhi’, who has spent three decades documenting India’s food evolution, with a close eye on how street food and urban villages are shaping the city’s future.

Stories, Screens, And A Legacy Remembered

Anubhav Sapra founded Delhi Food Walks in 2011, a platform that has helped popularise guided food walks across the capital. A Delhi University graduate with a background in political science and rural development, he began his career in the non-profit sector before turning his passion for street food into a full-time pursuit. Through his walks and widely followed YouTube channel, Sapra documents regional cuisines, local food traditions, and the lives of vendors, focusing on research-led storytelling rather than reviews. 

Speaking to Outlook Traveller, he said, “When we document any place’s food culture, it’s all about the history of that place, how it has evolved over time, and how it has been changing over the past few years.” He points to Old Delhi as an example, explaining how the history of Shahjahanabad and its communities continues to live on through its street food, even as it adapts with time.

That approach has also shaped how he travels and eats. Sapra stresses the need for openness and respect when encountering unfamiliar cuisines, advising people to “keep an open mind and palette” rather than judging what others eat. His own experiences reflect that mindset. In Ziro, he ate with the Apatani tribe, noting the simplicity of their food and the variety of curries, while in Nagaland, he tried silkworms and bamboo worms, and in Assam, fried red ant eggs. More recently, in Pune’s Kausar Baugh during Ramadan, he came across dishes like Mohabbat ka sharbat and Hyderabadi haleem, but what stood out was tahiri, a dish he associates with Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. He was surprised to find it being sold there, tracing its presence to migrant Muslim communities. He also recalls observing how Maharashtrian households prepare shrikhand during Gudi Padwa, sourcing chakka to mix into hung curd at home. These experiences, whether on the street or inside people’s homes, continue to shape how he documents India’s diverse and ever-evolving food cultures.

Seen together, these journeys and observations underline how food stories today move across formats, from lived experiences on the ground to narratives shared with wider audiences. It also raises an important question: as more voices enter this space, how do they balance reach with responsibility while telling stories that remain true to the cultures they represent?

The third panel at the Delhi Food Awards 2026 shifts the focus to the present, where food is as much about storytelling online as it is about cooking. Moderated by journalist Triya Gulati, who tracks lifestyle and urban culture, the discussion looks at the responsibilities that come with influence.

The speakers include Gitanshu Jetly, a marketing leader at Hilton with experience across luxury hospitality and global retail brands like Nike and ITC, who advocates for transparency and long-term trust in digital communication. He is joined by Priyanka Kapoor, founder of Dillifoodies, who has built a community of over three million followers by focusing on practical, family-friendly recipes that resonate with home cooks. Also part of the conversation is Karan Malik, a Gen Z content creator known for his high-energy, relatable storytelling style that prioritises authenticity over polish.

A new addition this year is the Vinod Dua Lifetime Achievement Award, honouring the legacy of Vinod Dua, whose work in food journalism captured the everyday essence of India’s culinary traditions with rare depth and honesty. The tribute is expected to reflect on his lasting influence on how food stories are told in the country.

The evening will also feature a dastangoi performance by Nadeem Suhrawardy, who will draw on the 16th-century oral storytelling tradition to narrate Delhi’s flavours and culture. It brings the evening full circle, reinforcing how food and storytelling travel the same path—shared across tables, carried in memory, and handed down over time, keeping the city’s culinary spirit alive through generations.

FAQs

1. When is Delhi Food Awards 2026 happening?

Delhi Food Awards 2026 will take place on March 28, 2026, in New Delhi.

2. Where is the event being held?

The event will be hosted at Le Méridien New Delhi.

3. Who organises the Delhi Food Awards?

It is organised by Delhi Food Walks, founded by Anubhav Sapra.

4. What topics will be discussed at the event?

Panels will cover food tourism, Delhi’s culinary history, and digital storytelling in food media.

5. What is new at Delhi Food Awards 2026?

A new lifetime achievement honour has been introduced to celebrate the legacy of Vinod Dua.