Jay’s Story
From Mechanical Engineering to the Culinary World
Hi, I am Jayashree Iyengar
When I found myself constantly thinking about creating my own business to teach Indian cooking classes, I knew I was ready to make a move from my engineering career. It was a big change, but after much contemplation, I boldly decided to stir this pot of adventure.
Hi, I am Jayashree Iyengar, founder, and owner of Popping Mustard Seeds. My love for delicious food began when I was growing up in Chennai, India, eating wonderful home-cooked food all the time. When I moved to the United States as a graduate student I craved those familiar foods I ate while growing up. So, I became interested in cooking which turned out to be more fun than I expected. My cooking expedition became exciting after I got married. But, having children took me to the next step – I became the chef at home, which only helped me improve my cooking skills. Thus grew my passion for cooking.
I have had many teachers over the years. In many ways, my mother was my first teacher even though I learned very little hands-on cooking from her when I was in India. Learning happened unbeknown to me as I watched, smelled, and tasted her food during my childhood – which still plays a big role in my cooking methods. Hands-on cooking became a necessity after I moved to the United States and my cooking skills grew as I learned to cook along with my grad school friends – some were experienced cooks and others experimented along with me. After my marriage, I continued learning many of the traditional recipes from my mother, my mother-in-law, and a few cookbooks.
As my passion for cooking grew, it became a pleasure to cook for others. Over the years I have had many requests for my recipes and to teach cooking. This made it easy and a natural transition to my next course in life, the culinary world. I believe food is a common language which can connect us in the best ways and serve as a gateway to other cultures. Experiences can be shared through food by transporting you to places far away while being in your own surroundings and especially in your own kitchen. My mission is to take you to a world that is dear to me through my cooking classes. By sharing my stories and experiences I strive to make Indian cooking tangible to everyone through a step-by-step process, eliminating any fear, struggle, and inhibitions associated with it.
Moving into Food Studies
In 2019, I graduated with a Master’s degree in Food Studies at Chatham University. The program has taken me through a challenging but wonderful journey with hands-on experience and opportunities to learn about the complicated food system including topics such as food access, food history, culture and cuisines, agriculture, and sustainability. Simply put, it has been a humbling experience to explore the vast expanse of the food world and I am glad I did it!
Learning never stops and I plan to continue to explore and expand my own knowledge about food while I share my cooking talent with others.
More About Jay
Gardening has been one of my favorite hobbies for many years and I find it to be very enjoyable, therapeutic, and a great way to learn about growing food.
While I am exploring this new world, I also keep in touch with my engineering world as an active member of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) in Pittsburgh.
I am thankful to my family, especially to my husband and our two boys. They relish everything I cook for them. Their encouragement and support of my business venture have been invaluable to me!
