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“When my mom has people over, it’s warm, it’s inviting, nurturing, and loving,” says Umaimah Sharwani, founder of @fromparo. “It’s the feeling of entering someone’s home and immediately being taken care of.” Inspired by her Pakistani-American family’s cooking, she began Paro (her mom’s name), a brand of elevated South Asian pantry staples, in 2023. “For a lot of us first-generation immigrants, a lot of the memories and recipes are just vocal,” she says. Creating Paro has helped her document decades’ worth of knowledge from her past and preserve it for future generations. 🫶 It’s no secret that grocery store aisles have been monotone up until recently. Paro is one of the brands pioneering the movement toward more inclusive options. “South Asian food is so diverse — and for so long, we sort of lumped it together under this umbrella of Indian or Asian food,” Umaimah says. “My goal is to simplify the entire process and do the hard work for you so there’s no barrier to entry for you trying this food at home.” 🍽️ Some of Sharwani’s favorite memories have happened over a dinner table. “In Pakistani culture, there’s always a holiday or an event where you’re inviting friends and family over and everyone’s connecting and sharing culture through food,” she says. She has recreated this in her own life by hosting “Paro Parties,” or dinner parties centered around food and conversation. Umaimah hopes that Paro inspires the same feeling of sharing a good meal with people you love. ⭐

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