Karachi: Stories from the City & the Pakistani Kitchen

Explore Karachi through stories, photographs, and Pakistani cuisine with vegetable biryani, chicken karachi, and cultural connection
About this Event

This event is part of our Guest Storyteller series.Food has a way of connecting us to places, people, and traditions–even when we're thousands of miles away.

Join Maryam Ahmed and Ryan Smolar at PLAYTE Kitchen for an evening exploring Karachi, Pakistan, through food, photographs, and stories of the people who shape this vibrant city and its food system.

For Maryam, Karachi is home to generations of her family. As a first-generation Pakistani American, she grew up with the flavors and traditions of her Abu’s (father’s) hometown which became a shared language with her elders. Returning to Karachi as an adult offered a chance to reconnect with those familiar foods, discover new ones, and experience the city through a different lens.

Ryan brings another perspective through his professional work with the Urban Resource Centre and the Karachi Farmers Market. He'll share stories of community-led efforts to protect neighborhoods, support local food producers, and strengthen connections between food, land, health, and livelihoods. From traditional cheesemakers to innovative chefs and farmers, we'll meet some of the people shaping Karachi's food culture today.

Then, we'll bring those stories into the kitchen. Together, guests will prepare a classic biryani, learning how layers of fragrant rice, spices, and aromatics come together in one of Pakistan's most beloved dishes. We'll gather around the table to enjoy our biryani alongside chicken karahi, another favorite known for its rich tomato-based sauce, ginger, and warming spices.

Part storytelling, part hands-on cooking, and entirely about connection. Come curious, come hungry, and leave with a deeper appreciation for the food, people, and traditions of Karachi.