To the Editor:
Re “For South Asian Cooks, Yogurt Starter Is an Heirloom” (Food, Feb. 27):

Growing up in a Pakistani-American household, I found that my childhood summers
were synonymous with ripe, juicy mangoes, falooda kulfi (rose-flavored ice cream), and, of
course, fresh homemade dahi (yogurt). Priya Krishna is right when she says that homemade yogurt is a staple in many South Asian households, and that continued use of the same starter culture enables yogurt makers to preserve their heritage right in their own refrigerator. Yet homemade yogurt is not merely an heirloom of the past. It’s also a palpable link connecting the younger generations of South Asian Americans to their native cultures.

In my house, the fridge would hold my mother’s homemade dahi only in the summertime
because yogurt made from scratch does not set during the colder months of the year. With that yogurt, my mother would whip up a number of other dahi-based dishes using traditional Pakistani recipes. As a result, our summer evenings would be accompanied by lassi, a tangy yogurt drink, or papdi chaat, a snack made of chopped vegetables topped with yogurt, aromatic spices, and crispy fried dough.

Homemade yogurt opened up doors for me to experience other culinary traditions and
regional delicacies from Pakistan. Eating it with my family was a way for me to connect with a homeland that I had not lived in but could still feel a profound connection to, because of the dishes my mother put on the table.