“Rasa” means quintessence; it also refers to the sensory experience of relishing a meal. Launched in 2022, Rasa is Whetstone Media’s second print publication dedicated to food and its intersection with culture, caste, community and anthropology in the broad region that is referred to as South Asia. The countries in this region include India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Afghanistan and the Maldives. 

Rasa features deeply researched stories and nuanced photography from South Asia. The debut issue included stories about India’s biodiversity of seaweed, the importance of milk powder in Sri Lanka’s teatime traditions, especially amid the current food shortages, how momos or meat-stuffed dumplings of Tibetan origin became popular in the Kashmir Valley, the theatre of rasam and how anchovies became beloved to the Gurkha community of Nepal. 

At times tender, funny and intensely personal, Rasa maintains impeccable standards for journalistic quality.