By: Saif Ul Hasan
Food is something which always brings people together whether they are festivities or get together. It always amazed me that food could also be so much diverse like the people around the world, where you get to taste of their culture and tradition. In Pakistan, food is one thing where people went all out and made the best they could, it is a sign of love and acceptance among people where they showed their hospitality and had meals with guests, friends and relatives.
Few days back I came across someone on social media, who goes by the name of “Da guy who cooks”. He is an adventurer and loves to cook! His name is ‘Ahsan Irshad’. He is 25 years old and lives in Islamabad. By profession he is a software expert dealing in Information Security and graphic designing but quit his job two months ago to peruse his passion of cooking. While taking to him he said “I want to tell you something from my childhood. When we were little, only one dish was made at home and the instructions were take it or leave it”. Ahsan mentioned that “since seventh grade I had the passion for food and wanted to create different dishes.” Being a man it’s not something we see every day, his passion towards food and creative sphere makes him best at what he does. He loves out door tracking and cooking, he is been doing this for the past 3 years. He has invited people to join him on his trips, which he started recently after quitting his job. So far he has received immense appreciation for his passion.
Furthermore he added, that in near future he have plans to open a restaurant which may happen by the end of this year. He also plans to get a culinary degree. After quitting his job he has shifted his focus towards digital media where he is able to share his work with people through this platform. On asking what was his inspiration Ahsan said” my idea of outdoor cooking started, when I started to follow a YouTube channel where I got the idea and added a twist to it, instead of doing it alone I started taking people, on minimal cost.
He also said “I have never been happier since I started cooking”. This also reminds us that one should pursue the passion and goals no matter what. Ahsan has been working on different ideas related to food business and plans to do something different.