Hello, friend.
If we haven’t met yet, I’m Bhavi Patel. On the internet, I go by Banjaranfoodie, mostly because “Highly Caffeinated Woman Who Reads Too Much and Wanders Off” didn’t fit in the username field.
I have a strange job. I straddle the demilitarized zone between two warring factions: Coffee and Tea. By day, I am the Editor of Tea Journey magazine and a writer for international coffee & publications, a research partner, a social media and brand-building consultant, and looking to add more gigs. I spend my life analyzing terroir, debating oxidation levels, and respectfully nodding when people explain why they put butter in their coffee.
I love my work. I love the precision of it. But here is the thing about writing for magazines: They want the polished version. Nothing wrong with it, that’s how the industry works.
They want the “Top 10 Cafés in Mumbai.” But an 800-word monologue about the eccentric old man I met in that one café who told me the secret to happiness is eating two mangoes a day would mostly not cut.
They want the “Guide to Darjeeling’s First Flush” and “How important it is to clean your grinder”, but maybe, how the mist looked rolling over the mountains that morning, or the book I was reading that perfectly matched the mood of the rain, or the conversation I had with a stranger that made me question my entire existence before breakfast wouldn’t be a good commercial article.
That is why we are here.
I created my Substack because I have a backlog of stories that are too weird, too personal, or too specific for the newsstand. I wanted a place where the “B-Sides” could live.
We are living in an era of 15-second videos and hot takes. The art of the slow, meandering, meaningful conversation is dying—it’s practically an endangered species. I want to bring it back. I want to build a little corner of the internet for people who believe that:
- Curiosity is a survival skill.
- The story behind the cup is always better than the tasting notes.
- Books are just travel tickets for introverts.
- The world is massive and overwhelming, and while life is too short to see it all, it would be rude not to try.
So, what can you expect on my substack?
You’ll get the Banjaran (the nomad) and the Foodie (the glutton). We’ll talk about the books that wrecked me and the meals that saved me. We will geek out over tea and coffee, but we won’t be snobs about it. We’ll explore history, culture, and those serendipitous moments that only happen when you keep your mind—and your passport—open.
Consider this an invitation to my digital living room. I’ll brew the pot (you can pick: bean or leaf), you bring your curiosity.
Let’s explore the world together. It’s going to be a fun ride.
Cheers, Bhavi
Banjaran Foodie 