Our food issue is a delicious medley of stories, where hyperlocal cuisines and rich ingredients marry the craft of slow cooking. In the hills of Uttarakhand, Kumaoni flavours are brought to life with a locavore approach. In Maharashtra, a foraging experience limelights sustainable food practices of local indegenious communities. In Australia, farmers are transforming Southern Tasmania's Huon Valley into an agricultural hub. Also read veteran chef Michael Swamy's essay on why slow cooking with fresh ingredients is a tradition to be savoured.