Safar : Finding Home, History, and Culture through Punjabi Food in the American West

Blends memoir and history to explore the role of Punjabi food in fostering community and identity among South Asian refugees and immigrants.

Safar: Finding Home, History, and Culture through Punjabi Food in the American West follows the journey of South Asian refugees, immigrants, and their children—in particular, Sikhs, Jats, and Muslims—who moved to the southwestern states of America over centuries as farmers, truck drivers, restaurant owners, and dhaba/diner stall cooks. An expedition in search of the asli—or real Punjabi food—Madhushree Ghosh explores how their food traveled from pre-partition British India to now, while weaving in her own immigrant journey as a graduate student to America in 1993, her quest to find home through the food of her Bengali refugee parents, and the physical journey she embarked on to visit the Punjabi communities in California, Arizona, and New Mexico.

Focusing on four Punjabi women, each a part of a different immigration wave of South Asia to the American West, Ghosh highlights the food and recipes they brought with them that connect them to their pasts. Safar shares stories of displacement, discrimination, community, and hope, while shedding light on immigrant journeys and the true meaning of home, comfort food, and what constitutes a “true Punjabi” meal. Featuring essential recipes, this is a poignant reflection on what it means to find home and identity through food and culture as an immigrant to the United States.