From Cooking on fire to Global Kitchens: How Scouting Prepared Me for Life Abroad By Firoze (Fili) Wadia
When I first learned cooking as part of my scouting journey, I didn’t think much of it beyond passing a test, earning a badge, and surviving at camps. Standing around a smoky fire, (cooking was on open fire using fire-wood) trying to pass a test, felt like just another scouting activity at that time. But years later, when I took up assignments abroad from work, those very lessons turned out to be some of the most valuable skills I carried with me. Cooking in scouts wasn’t about fancy recipes. We learned how to cook with minimal ingredients & vessels, with improvisations and failed more than often. Then the whole team had to eat what we made, often tasting burnt and/or smoky (which we called “Dhukrailu”). At the time, it felt challenging.
When I travelled abroad for assignments, everything was new—culture, language, food etc. Eating out every day wasn’t practical, and Indian ingredients weren’t always available. That’s when my scouting experiences quietly stepped in. I learnt how to adapt. I learned to recreate simple meals, experiment with local produce, (like Tofu replaced Paneer , mild paprika replaced Kashmiri chilly powder) and gradually build confidence in cooking for myself and co-habitats.
One of the biggest things scouting taught me was self-reliance. Cooking wasn’t just about food—it was about taking care of yourself and others. Abroad, this translated into independence. I didn’t have to depend on takeout or struggle with unfamiliar menus. Cooking became more than a necessity—it became survival.
Cooking helped me connect with people. I started inviting local colleagues and friends over, introducing them to dishes inspired by my home and scouting days. In return, I learned their cuisines and cooking styles. Like one of my Dutch colleague volunteered to cook mince meat (Kheema) for us. It was just mince fried in butter with salt and pepper. And that too he burnt it. Next day he proudly presented himself in office saying he had cooked “Jala Kheema” for us (we gave him the Indian version of the dish name he had made). What started as a survival skill turned into a bridge across cultures.
If you’re a scout, learning how to cook over a campfire today, know this: you’re doing more than just making a meal. You’re building confidence, independence, and life skills that will travel with you wherever you go. What started as a basic scouting skill turned into a lifelong asset. Scouting didn’t just teach me how to cook—it taught me how to adapt and survive wherever I went across the globe.
– FIROZE WADIA