Written by: Hurmat Majid
Posted on: May 04, 2020 | 
| 中文
Making Tawa Chicken (Chicken on a Griddle)
Not many people's idea of adventure includes wandering into the wilderness and harnessing the natural elements to cook extremely complicated food for an audience. For Ahsan Irshad, however, that is the best kind of adventure.
Known popularly by his social media handle 'DaGuyWhoCooks', this 26-year-old computer scientist believes that cooking in the wild is his calling. Not only does this lively young man from Islamabad travel around Pakistan, but also puts up his adventures on social media, often featuring his signature cup of mixed tea. Talking to Youlin Magazine, Ahsan explained that his passion for the craft started at the young age of 11 or 12.
Ahsan Irshad
"I come from a family where the attitude towards food is, 'take it or leave it', like in most Pakistani homes. We either ate whatever was on the dinner table or we went hungry, personal preferences were not entertained. That's how my journey started, frying eggs and making sandwiches, when dinner did not tempt me.”
When asked if he ever took formal training, Ahsan replied, "Initially, my mother encouraged and guided me, and also nurtured my passion. Later I learnt more intricate techniques, but it was her initial encouragement that gave me the courage to cook the way I do.”
Although he finished his education and found a job, he quit it for full time “adventure cooking”. When asked about the idea to cooking in the wild, he replied, "I live in Islamabad, and one of my favorite things to do is hike and have a barbecue cookout on Trail Four with friends. That became a routine, and soon I realized that I could do much more than just grill food."
Barbecuing in the Woods
Ahsan started a YouTube channel to elaborately document his adventures, and an Instagram blog was an additional way to keep people updated on his day to day cooking. "I started putting videos up on YouTube when people started showing interest in what I was doing."
He explained that his family initially could not grasp this idea, "A man cooking professionally is difficult to grasp in Pakistan. But when a couple of mainstream TV channels covered what I was doing, it helped reduce their anxieties. When I incorporated tourism into my job, by taking tourist groups to various parts of the country to have live cooking and camping, they better understood my goals.”
Scrambled Eggs and Sausages Near a Waterfall
Similarly, it took time for his tourism business to attract people. "At first, the people with whom I traveled did not understand the concept fully. But when they actually got involved in the process, they began to appreciate and enjoy the experience. Cooking, like trekking and traveling, is more about the journey and the process, not so much the destination or the final product."
Grilling Trout at Mohdand Lake in Swat
"People need to understand that the art of food is much more than just eating, it’s about the experience of creating something out of a few raw ingredients," Ahsan said. The passion for his craft resonated clearly in his words.
Discussing how the pandemic has affected his enterprise, Ahsan said, "This situation is exceptionally difficult for someone like me. Even though cooking in a formal kitchen is extremely confining for me, I have been trying out a number of recipes at home. We're all just trying to do the right thing.”
Making Mixed Tea
Ahsan recently built a makeshift pizza oven at home, and from the videos online, the results seem astounding. Although his adventures have shifted from hilltops to his backyard, the food still seems to be absolutely amazing.
"I have been creating more content while at home. From what I’ve seen on social media, people seemed to be missing fast food styled fried chicken burgers recently, so I shared a recipe online and the response was overwhelming. People have been posting pictures of their creations, and it’s amazing to see how far my recipes have traveled.”
Grilling Burgers in the Mountains
Ahsan's latest creation is a lasagna recipe, which has barely been online for a few days, but has social media users raving about it.
When things go back to normal, Ahsan explained that he would resume his plans to travel to the northern areas. "I was supposed to take a tour before this lockdown started. We had been advertising about it, but then this happened. So our first step will be to take a group there, and cook our hearts out in the backdrop of the amazing views.”
LBreakfast in Arangkel, Azad Kashmir
In the future, Ahsan aspires to take his project to new heights. "Eventually I want a TV show of my own, where I can travel all over Pakistan, and cook in different places for a wider audience. If it materializes, that will be a dream come true.”
As we asked him for his top cooking tip, Ahsan answered, "Cook with your heart and you'll never go wrong. I can sit here and talk about a million practical tips and tricks, but the most important thing about cooking is that it should come from a place of love, and then whatever you create will be amazing.”
All photo credits go to Ahsan Irshad. You can follow Ahsan’s adventures on Youtube, Twitter and Instagram.
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