India, July 27 -- In cooking as in life, authenticity is not about precision. It is about intention - the act of remembering, adapting and keeping something precious alive

This ancient thought experiment, known as the Ship of Theseus paradox, has puzzled philosophers for centuries. The story goes: as Theseus's legendary ship aged, its wooden planks were replaced one by one. By the time every piece had been swapped, was it still Theseus's ship - or something entirely new? What makes something original: its form, its materials, or its essence?

I found myself thinking about that ship not in a lecture hall, but in my kitchen - oceans away from home. I was surrounded by unfamiliar shelves, foreign labels, and a quiet so unlike the bustling k...