Maneet Chauhan, a popular Indian-American chef and restaurateur, is currently trending on social media platforms, including X (formerly Twitter). While one might assume people are discussing Chauhan's culinary skills or success, American netizens are debating why she called herself a 'Southerner'.
The Podcast Remarks
Chauhan recently appeared on an episode of Southern Living's Biscuits & Jam podcast to discuss her 50th birthday and upcoming ventures. The chef, who has lived in Nashville, Tennessee for the past 12 years and considers it home, was asked if she feels like a true Southerner now.
"I am, I think there's a lot of commonality between people who are from India and the people from the South. So it felt very much at home," she said. "Being a Southerner means having a heart which permeates into everything that you do. With the people that you meet, with every project you take up, with each conversation that you have, there is soul, there is depth."
Demystifying Indian Food
Elsewhere in the interview, Chauhan shared her goal of demystifying Indian food culture for Americans. "Since 1998, coming to this country, all I have wanted to do is show people the beauty of Indian food, the seasonality, and the health of Indian food. It's really not that complicated and I wanted to demystify that you can do this at home," she said. The chef revealed that people now reach out to her, saying they thought Indian food was complicated but after watching her recipes, they are making it at home.
Social Media Backlash
In a post quickly gaining traction on X, MAGA journalist Sean Davis took a dig at Chauhan for calling herself a 'Southerner'. He shared images of her quote and a Wikipedia screenshot showing she was born in India, educated there, and married to an Indian spouse. "I mean come on," he wrote.
Numerous netizens called out Davis for attacking Chauhan for identifying as an American. "Republicans are now getting mad at immigrants for *assimilating,*" wrote one user. "Maneet, an award-winning chef, built her restaurant empire in Nashville. She's also a live fire barbecue expert. She's an immigrant from India who assimilated and loves America. We should celebrate entrepreneurs like her," added another. "So she's assimilated and that's a problem? But if she praised her birth nation instead that too would be a problem? So which is it? What would you like her and others like her do when asked a question?" asked one.
However, others rallied along with Davis's claims. "She's not a Southerner or an American! What an insult to real Southerners... In fact, @Southern_Living should be ABSOLUTELY ASHAMED for running this piece! All of these people need to go back to India!" one wrote. "I have cast iron pans that have been in the south longer than she. And that outfit is neither seersucker nor Lily Pulitzer," added another.
Who is Maneet Chauhan?
Maneet Chauhan was born on October 27, 1976, in Ludhiana, Punjab. She began her culinary career at Manipal University's WelcomGroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration in Manipal, earning a bachelor's degree in Hotel Management. She worked as an apprentice chef at Oberoi Group, Taj Group, Welcomr Group, and Sheraton Group.
In 1998, she arrived in New York to attend the Culinary Institute of America, graduating with top honors. In 2000, she was hired as a manager for a startup restaurant in New Jersey. In 2003, at age 27, she became the opening executive chef of Vermilion in Chicago, earning three stars from The Chicago Tribune. In 2007, she moved to NYC to open At Vermilion, where she was nominated as 'Best Import to New York' by Time Out Magazine.
Over the years, Chauhan opened her own restaurants, including Chauhan Ale & Masala House and The Mockingbird in Nashville, along with EET in Florida. She has written two cookbooks and appeared on shows like Chopped, BBQ Brawl, Maneet's Eats, and Tournament of Champions, where she became the first two-time winner in the show's history.
