What is this Indian chef doing at Rio Olympics 2016?

On an average day, you’d find Ishan Bahukhandi with his head down, behind the kitchen slab. He is the young man behind the ready-to-eat products brand, Vegit Merino Ltd.

Last week, however, this 25-year-old chef from Uttarakhand got a call that changed his life and his work-routine for the next few weeks.

Ana Zambelli, the sous chef of Sapore S.A.–the official caterers for Rio Olympics 2016–has known Bahukhandi for a few years now. So, when the caterers needed a chef to manage the Asian Cuisine section for the greatest sporting event of the year, they decided to call on Bahukhandi.

The Delhi-based chef immediately started preparing for the trip, which included buying and packing up large quantities of Indian spices to cook with while he’s at Rio de Janeiro. According to a report in the Times of India, Zambelli specifically told him to “pack your bags, fill them with Indian spices.”

Bahukhandi, knowing that spices are exactly what he needs to deliver the flavours of everything from dal makhani to chana, packed as much as he could in the short time he had. He finally arrived at the Olympics venue yesterday, and has already mingled with the team of caterers there.