Pakistan has a rich and eye-glaring history when it comes to eateries as all the regions of the country encapsulate different flavours & colours of exotic cuisines. This heritage has now got a new life with Google’s ‘Museum of Food’ designed under the directorship of Pakistan’s only Oscar-winning filmmaker, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy.
The digital hub by Google has featured rich & diverse culinary landscape of Pakistan in collaboration with the British Council. As of now, it is the largest and most comprehensive exploration of Pakistani cuisine available online.
With 9000+ Images, 90+ videos and 100+ stories, the Museum of Food has captured the vibrant culinary tapestry of all regions of Pakistan and beyond. The platform has also incorporated recipes from the diaspora with the help of UK-based co-creators, W.M.Legacy.
Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, who has acted as a Project Director, said that an intrinsic part of country’s cultural identity is the culinary heritage of Pakistan, which is at a high risk of becoming extinct due to the passing of generations, climate challenges, and certain domestic practices. She briefed that the team embarked on a mission to actively preserve & rejuvenate the vanishing recipes & customs. She hoped that the project would inspire people to explore, appreciate, and enjoy the vibrant culinary culture of Pakistan and contribute with their own stories and recipes.
Google Arts & Culture has encapsulated the genesis of iconic dishes & essence of Pakistan’s cultural diversity. Sharmeen and her cohort of filmmakers ventured through eateries across country and captured the essence of traditional dining practices.
A Glimpse of Pakistan’s first digital “Museum of Food”
The digital hub has covered a wide range of topics. It has shed light on the role of women in preserving culture & cuisine along with showing ingredients that define Pakistani flavours like Empress Market’s spices, Pasni’s salt, Ranipur’s sugarcane and Kunri’s red.
One can also witness regional dishes like Pata Tikka, Chapshoro, Khaddi Kebab, Bhe ke Pakore, and Kaak Bread. Similarly, all exotic food spots have a brilliant representation including Karachi’s Burns Road, Peshawar’s meat-centered sites, Gwadar seafood, and Hunza Valley’s organic delicacies.
The Museum of Food comes together as an interactive website where the global Pakistani diaspora enriches everyone’s understanding of how culinary heritage surpasses borders.
Director and founder of Google Arts & Culture Amit Sood hoped that users could fully immerse themselves in the many wonders of Pakistan as the site is dedicated to showcasing the vibrant flavours and rich culture of Pakistan.