“I would always get homemade pickles from India. Every time I would run out, I would go to the Indian store and get an equivalent. But everything I could get there had an egregious amount of salt, lots of oil, or had preservatives in them. So, I decided to make my own.” @chitra Agrawal, owner of ABCD of Cooking and @BrooklynDelhi

They say you are what you eat, and I really believe that. But how much control do we have over what’s in what we eat? Food today isn’t what it was 50 years ago. It’s different chemically, and it’s fairly well documented that processed food tricks our brains and stomachs, causing cravings for more processed food.What struck me the first time I went to @Smorgasburg to help my son set up his craft cocktail mix store, was how much of the food on offer was traditional American cuisine such as hot dogs, donuts and mac and cheese. But there was a twist. What those young vendors offered was the real version, from scratch, without preservatives, additives, or anything artificial. A real revolution. Young people taking back control of food.

To hear more from Chitra, and fellow Smorgasburg vender Alex Abbott Boyd @cocktailcrate , and to hear expert advice from legendary Sri Lankan tea entrepreneur Merrill J. Fernando, listen to my new podcast.

Find out:How to start a food or beverage companyWhat it takes to stay in businessThe pros and cons of preservativesHow entrepreneurs pay it forwardHow they preserve and update cuisine