Fatima had the opportunity to work in many kitchens with people from all sorts of backgrounds and experiences. She loved her job, surrounded by people who also had so much passion for the food world. However, it frustrated her that these amazing people that she was sharing all that time with did not understand the rich and diverse food traditions and cultural background of her homeland. She wanted to help them understand the food of her country, her memories associated with it, their significance, and the joy that she got every time she indulged in a Pakistani feast.

Living in the US when Islamophobia was becoming rampant, Fatima felt conflicted – the world was telling her that her culture and people were something to be feared, yet she remained immensely proud of where she came from. She wanted to change the perception of Pakistan, which people in the West seemed to have: rather than thinking of Pakistan as a part of the ‘third world’, an impoverished and unsafe nation, she wanted them to learn about the thousands of years of diverse cultural and artistic traditions, poets, musicians, Nobel laureates, and of course, food.

To Fatima, exchanging skills and experiencing the joy of trying new flavors went both ways. Not only did she want her peers in the US to familiarize themselves with the Pakistani flavors she knew so well, but she also wanted aspiring chefs from her homeland, and the people of Pakistan to try and enjoy as she did, the rich food traditions from all over the world. Whenever it was Fatima’s turn to cook up the “family meal” in the kitchen she was working in, she would take the opportunity to cook up something Pakistani – like a rich, unctuous, peppery and warm daal gosht using all those cuts of lamb that gave away their marrow to make that eating experience one people could not forget. Just have a look at what she was up to when she was running Van Pakistan!

Fati wanted to make it part of her life’s mission to pursue ventures that lead to appreciating what Pakistanis have, be it art, culture, food or beloved traditions of hospitality – and to share that with the world. She also wanted to bring the skills and techniques she learned over the years and share them with those who wanted to learn (and eat!). This is the spirit behind the Chef Exchange program.

In Fati’s own words: “In the next few years, I hope to take Pakistani cuisine to a level of sophistication it has never been exposed to before. By introducing myself and my country to the world in another light is all I hope to achieve. We are, as a nation, known for a great many things – some good and some bad, but never extraordinary. One day that will change, and I’m not silly enough to believe I can achieve that single-handedly. I’ll need a little help from my friends…”