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Why TikTok Recipes Will Never Taste Like My Mother’s Kitchen
Food is heritage, not a 20-second video clip
The first time I tried to make my mother’s aloo paratha, I turned to TikTok.
Rookie mistake. A 20-second video promised “authentic Punjabi paratha” with a grocery list I could find at any supermarket.
The creator, in a pristine kitchen, rolled dough with the confidence of a Michelin chef, flashing a grin at the camera. I followed every step — measured the ghee, mashed the potatoes, even bought the same brand of atta she swore by.
The result? A doughy, lumpy mess that tasted like cardboard. My mother, watching from the corner of our Delhi kitchen, chuckled so hard her bangles jingled. “This,” she said, pointing at my sad paratha, “is not food.”
That moment, surrounded by the clatter of stainless steel spice tins, taught me something no algorithm could: food isn’t just ingredients or technique. It’s a memory, a story, a piece of home. My mother’s aloo paratha — crisp, golden, with a spiced potato filling that warmed your soul — wasn’t just breakfast. It was her childhood in Amritsar, her late-night chats with my dadi, and the love she kneaded into every bite. TikTok could never capture that.
