A Pinch of Persia
Apr 22, 2026
In her latest column, Maryam Jillani traces Persian cuisineโs influence on South Asian cuisine, from historic Sindhi connections to Mughlai royal kitchens, down to contemporary Pakistani cuisine.
Maryam Jillani
Maryam Jillani Maryam Jillani is a Pakistan-born educator, food writer, and recipe developer. She is the author of the cookbook ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ช๐ด๐ต๐ข๐ฏ, which was selected as one of the best cookbooks of the year by ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ฐ๐ด ๐๐ฏ๐จ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ด ๐๐ช๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ด, ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ด๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ๐ต๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐๐ฐ๐ด๐ต, ๐๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐๐ฑ๐ฑรฉ๐ต๐ช๐ต/๐๐ฑ๐ช๐ค๐ถ๐ณ๐ช๐ฐ๐ถ๐ด, and ๐๐๐, among others. She also runs the award-winning website ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ช๐ด๐ต๐ข๐ฏ ๐๐ข๐ต๐ด, which was archived by the Library of Congress in 2021.
Pakistani Food is Having a Moment โ Where Are Its Restaurants?
Dec 27, 2025
A few years ago it felt as if Pakistani cuisine was on the precipice of stepping onto the global stage. But, the boom never came. Maryam Jillani explores why this expected culinary renaissance has shifted to the back burner.
In Pakistan, Third Places Exist, But for Whom and Until When?
May 15, 2025
Despite small pockets and different formats of revival, spaces for communities to gather and spend unstructured time together have been shrinking in Pakistani cities
Forager, Creative, Cook: Asad Mongaโs Guide to Pakistani Food
Jan 28, 2025
It isnโt simply Asad Mongaโs cooking - hyper local but with a real creative flair - that is innovative about him, but it is the ethos he brings with him to the kitchen that truly sets him apart
Are We Better Cooks than Our Grandmothers (and Mothers)?
Jan 08, 2025
โMa ke hath ka khanaโ has had a chokehold on our culinary conscience, but is it really all that itโs cracked up to be?