Vikas Khanna, a world-renowned chef and the author of the world’s most expensive cookbook, has teamed up with NFT platform Akshaya on a new cookbook product. Interestingly, the limited-edition product has an NFT twist to it.
Dubbed “Sacred Foods of India,” the new book is a blend of both physical and digital. While the physical product sits inside an antique-styled maple and walnut wooden box covered with Swarovski crystals, the NFT version is on the Ethereum blockchain, representing a certificate of authenticity and ownership of the hard copy. As a testament to its rarity, there are only 250 books in existence.
Khanna, who is the host of MasterChef India, claims he developed the vegetarian cookbook from a compilation of over 100 holy recipes inspired by Indian heritage, culture, and diversity. Drawn from a wide array of religions, the recipes highlight how people can celebrate diversity and better understand one another. He said:
I wanted to combine the digital and physical into this one-of-a-kind collectible like no other cookbook author has done before […] Sacred Foods of India is a passionate compilation of traditions and cultures followed during preparation of prasad and foods served at religious places in India for many centuries. The 420-page book lists 108 holy recipes from 66 Hindu temples, five gurudwaras, five mosques and dargahs, two prominent Buddhist monasteries, one Jewish synagogue, and one church.