For Padma Lakshmi, travel and food have always gone hand-in-hand. The Emmy-nominated television host, bestselling author, and culinary expert has spent much of her career exploring the relationship between culture and cuisine, discovering how the way people eat can reveal just as much about a destination as its landmarks. And despite having already traveled extensively, she maintains that there is still plenty of the world left to discover.
Her latest adventure brought her to Rajasthan, India, where she was photographed for the 2027 Pirelli Calendar, a project celebrating the country and its cultural heritage. For Lakshmi, who was born in India, the experience was particularly meaningful.
We caught up with Lakshmi to discuss the destinations she would revisit for the food alone, the unexpected meal that changed her perspective on Istanbul, and why she believes every trip should change the way you see the world. Plus, she shares her surprisingly extensive packing essentials and the one city she thinks everyone should experience at least once.
Galavante: You were photographed in Rajasthan for the 2027 Pirelli Calendar. What did it mean to be part of the project, particularly with the shoot taking place in India?
Padma: It’s always a really big honor to be asked to be part of the Pirelli Calendar. I was excited that it was in my country of origin, in Rajasthan, which is one of the most beautiful historic places in Asia.
Galavante: You’ve spent so much of your life experiencing new places through food. What’s the first thing you do when you arrive somewhere new?
Padma: I ask the cab drivers where they eat because they are on the ground, driving around all the roads. They tend to know where the locals eat and where the best food is.
Galavante: When you’re trying to understand a destination through its food, what tells you the most about a place: the markets, street food, home cooking, or restaurants?
Padma: All of the above.
Galavante: Is there a meal you’ve had while traveling that completely changed the way you understood a destination?
Padma: When I was in Istanbul, I went to just a little gastronomia, a little cafeteria where you point, get your food, and sit down. And it was a revelation. It was so vegetable-forward, so flavorful. And it makes sense when you look at the geography of Turkey. But it had a lot of Middle Eastern accents as well as Mediterranean accents. All that, coming together, just makes for really delicious food that’s very diverse and, again, vegetable-forward and really flavorful.
Galavante: What trip has changed the way you see the world?
Padma: Every trip should change the way you see the world in some respect. Otherwise, you’re not really traveling. You’re just going.
Galavante: What’s the most underrated destination you’ve visited? And the most overrated?
Padma: El Paso was really interesting. I don’t know about underrated, but it’s certainly off the beaten path. I don’t know about overrated. I think there’s something beautiful and intriguing about every location. You just have to look hard enough. And […] it’s often not in the big hotels or the fancy restaurants.
Galavante: Is there a destination you would travel back to entirely for the food?
Padma: Lots. I would go back to Mexico, anywhere in Mexico, for the food. I would go back to Jordan, and I would go back to Bali. I would go anywhere in India or Europe. There are lots of places I haven’t been. I really haven’t traveled very much to Eastern Europe or Russia. I haven’t traveled very much in South America, and I’d love to go to Brazil. There’s so much of the world that I still would love to see and explore.
Galavante: Where do you think everyone should travel at least once in their life?
Padma: Rome.
Galavante: What instantly tells you a hotel is exceptional, and how much does the food factor into that?
Padma: The service. The food is a very big issue when you’re traveling, especially the food in your hotel, because you want something that’s comforting and healthy and nourishing. Especially when you’re on the road, you’re tired, your body clock is off. So, the food and service are very important in a hotel.
Galavante: What’s always in your travel bag, regardless of the destination?
Padma: My vitamins, a cashmere blanket, incense on the bottom of my suitcase, silk scarves that I can throw over a lampshade or a couch so that I don’t have to let my skin touch the upholstery, cozy socks, layers, a good book, and lots of things downloaded on my phone — like Audible books, podcasts, music, et cetera. Oh, and a good diary. Long-form writing.
Galavante: Is there a destination still at the top of your bucket list, whether for the place itself or something you’re dying to eat there?
Padma: Egypt. I’ve never been to Egypt.
Galavante: Where are you headed next, and what’s the first thing you plan to eat when you arrive?
Padma: I may go back to Paris for Thanksgiving because it’s my daughter’s turn to be with her dad now.
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