One of the greatest surprises of mine when I first came to Vancouver was the fact that actually the food culture was one of the things that surprised me the most since in India, food is not merely something that one eats but it is also a component of our feelings, our lives, our family, our traditions and even our mood, and when I got to Vancouver I knew in a second that food culture is the thing that this city takes very seriously and, consequently, it makes all people like myself really enjoy our time here. I could observe people everywhere around Vancouver, sitting together with friends and having a meal in a very comfortable manner, nothing in a hurry, nothing stressful, and this little detail helped me to realize that maybe this city is trying to say me that not every day in life should be so sudden, and you can sit down and have something good and enjoy those people being around. Another fact, which I noticed, is that Vancouver is very fond of fresh food, and there are moments when I think that this city is crazy about freshness, as even such a small thing as vegetables and fruits appear to be beautiful here, particularly in such places as Granville Island Market where it feels like I am walking in a picture. Whenever I visit it it smells of fresh bread, fresh fish, fresh fruits, everything, this makes me think that food is alive in this city, and I like this aspect since back home also we give much attention to fresh ingredients. The other large thing that strikes every single thing in Vancouver is the variety of food available, since in a single street you can stop at Indian food, Chinese food, Japanese food, Italian food, Korean food, Filipino food, Mexican food, Middle East food and many more types of food that I have never even thought of trying before, and that is so exciting when someone like me who likes to try something new treats it as a whole world at once but misses the home as well. Once I tried Japanese ramen here, it was the first the time in my life, that the soup can make you feel something, as it was so warm, tasty and simple and at that point I realised, why this soup is so popular among the people in Vancouver during the cold and rainy seasons. And then the Indian restaurants here, which leaves me feeling very much at home, as although the taste is not always the same as what we have in India, the spices, the aroma, and the entire atmosphere makes me feel like I am back at home and because even though the people here have many other backgrounds, the Indian food is being taken seriously by people. The other large section of the Vancouver food culture is the fact that people enjoy sitting in small cute cafes and taking pastries or coffee and even though I am not that into coffee, I like how I feel sitting in the cafes in Vancouver with my laptop or with a friend and I cannot easily describe the feeling of calmness that this place offers. Another observation I made is that here people are so health conscious about food, and at the initial stages, I found myself laughing at this since I was thinking that everybody is eating salad at all times. However, with a bit of time I realised the fact that the people of Vancouver have such a particular ratio between enjoying food and taking care of their bodies and gradually I started to even feel like enjoying a light food every now and then. The other thing which is always notable to me about Vancouver, is the politeness and friendliness of the people serving in food places, as in India, the service given is always good though not always warm but in Vancouver, almost everyone smiles at you, inquires about your day, thanks you in such a sweet manner that you feel like that particular person really wants you to have a good experience. This small human gesture welcomed me into the city in my early years when everything was new and baffling. The other aspect, that I find very interesting, is that most people here are vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free or plant-based, and in India it is not that common except that vegetarianism, but here in Vancouver it is so normal that everybody has choices to suit all types of people, which made me realise how food can be inclusive in a very simplistic way. I also enjoy that Vancouver has food trucks, as back home we do have street food, but the presentation is quite different, and here the food trucks are clean and colourful, and they are selling such different and varied food as fusion tacos, Korean fried chicken, ice cream sandwiches, and even Indian style wraps, and I feel like the food truck culture demonstrates how innovative Vancouver is regarding food. The entire food energy surrounding the city suffers a transformation of sorts since summer arrives, and people begin to go on picnics, purchase fresh fruits in the farmers markets and sell ice cream as they take walks close to beach, and occasionally it reminds me about Indian summers where we eat mangoes, juice and spend some time with friends and family outside. And in the winter time, food becomes closer and warmer, such as soups, hot chocolate, dumplings, curries, and any other comfort food that keeps you safe against the coldness of the outside world. This is also a habit of Vancouver combining flavours of different cultures, and I like that since it usually seems that food here is not dictated by rules and people like trying new combinations, such as Indian butter chicken on Italian pizza or Korean flavours in tacos or Japanese ingredients in burgers, and somehow they taste good, and demonstrate how open-minded Vancouver is. Grocery shopping is an enjoyable experience even here, as the grocery stores offer items that represent such a variety of regions of the world, hence when I am homesick, I will always find atta, rice, masalas, paneer, achar, and any other item that I am accustomed to. All these experiences helped me realize the fact that Vancouver food culture does not only revolve around eating, but also about connection, comfort, community, creativity and identity and now every time I go to eat in this city, I feel like I am discovering a little bit more about the people that live in this city. And at times when I sit alone in a restaurant or cafe, I see families chatting, friends laughing, couples eating and strangers savoring their moments together and I realise how food is one way of people here taking a step back and connecting with each other just as we Indians love sitting together and talking as we eat. The food culture in Vancouver has taught me that food can be a beautiful experience of being at home even though you are thousands of miles away and thanks to all this that I can now appreciate why so many people claim Vancouver is one of the best cities to be a food lover because it is kind of like sitting down to a plate and trying to find that the entire world is on it and because of all this; I can feel I am less alone and more a part of the city. That is why, Vancouver food culture is so dear to me because it provides me with the feeling of being comfortable, excited, happy, and having a bit of home with each bite.