Podcast Episode 256: Wild Food Has No Single Culture
Hunting doesn’t end when the animal hits the ground. It ends in the kitchen, and what happens there says as much about culture as it does about skill. In Episode 256 of the Wild Fish and Game Podcast, Justin Townsend sits down with Nikhil and Shiven of Two Brown Guys Hunt to explore how heritage, flavor, and food traditions shape the way we hunt, cook, and share wild food. From adult-onset hunting and approachable fishing trips to South Asian spices, African game meat, and why bold flavor doesn’t erase respect for the animal, this conversation challenges the idea that wild food belongs to any single tradition. Instead, it makes a compelling case that wild food is a shared language, spoken differently around every table.
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Meet the Guests: Nikhil and Shiven of Two Brown Guys Hunt
Nikhil and Shiven are the founders of Two Brown Guys Hunt, a platform built around hunting, fishing, and cooking wild food through a South Asian cultural lens. Both are first-generation Indian Americans from California, and both came to hunting later in life. As Nikhil explains, “I’m an adult-onset hunter and fisherman. I grew up in Southern California, went to college in a small town in Ohio, and that’s where I first got exposed to whitetail hunting and freshwater fishing.” Shiven’s background followed a similar arc, though fishing was part of his life from an early age. “I’ve been around fishing since I was a kid,” he says. “Hunting didn’t come until my late twenties, but being outside is my escape from sitting in front of a computer all day.”
Their platform started with a chance meeting on a guided turkey hunt, where both were shocked to see another South Asian hunter in camp. “The last thing I expected was another Punjabi brown dude on that hunt,” Nikhil laughs. That shared experience turned into a friendship, and eventually into Two Brown Guys Hunt, a project focused on making hunting and fishing more approachable, especially for people who don’t see themselves represented in traditional outdoor culture.
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Wild Food Is Bigger Than Tradition
One of the central themes of the episode is that wild food doesn’t belong to any single culture. As Justin puts it early in the conversation, “Hunting doesn’t end in the woods. It ends in the kitchen. And the way you cook wild food carries the weight of where you come from.” For Nikhil and Shiven, that weight includes South Asian flavors, family recipes, and food traditions passed down across generations.
Rather than seeing Indian cuisine and wild game as separate worlds, the two see them as a natural fit. “If I have rockfish in the freezer and I’m making paratha or curry that night, that’s just what I’m going to use,” Nikhil explains. Shiven echoes the sentiment, noting that dishes traditionally made with goat or lamb translate seamlessly to venison. “Anything I used goat for growing up, I used venison for when I got my first deer.”
This approach challenges a familiar North American pattern, where wild game is often funneled into a narrow set of preparations. Justin calls it out bluntly: “People are very set in their traditions. It’s chicken-fried steak, deer nuggets, cream-of-something.” For Two Brown Guys Hunt, bold flavor isn’t about hiding wild game, it’s about honoring it. “If you curry anything, it’s going to taste good,” Nikhil jokes, before adding more seriously, “There are cuts where bold flavors really shine, especially tougher or leaner meat.”
Making Hunting and Fishing Approachable
Beyond food, Nikhil and Shiven are deeply invested in lowering barriers to entry. Their guided fishing trips and hunts are designed so participants only need to show up. “All you need is a cooler,” Nikhil explains. “We provide the gear, the snacks, the education.” Shiven adds that many people in their community are curious but hesitant. “They want to hunt or fish, but they don’t feel comfortable booking with just anyone, especially as beginners.”
This philosophy extends beyond South Asian communities. “We’ve had a lot of women come on our trips who say they never would’ve booked an open-party charter on their own,” Nikhil says. “Our goal is to make it approachable for everybody.” That inclusivity shows up in the results. As Justin notes, watching someone catch and cook their first fish never gets old. “That moment when they say, ‘I caught this, and now I’m eating it,’ that connection is powerful.”
Flavor, Technique, and Respect for the Animal
The conversation dives deep into cooking philosophy, from sous vide as a tool for wild game to breaking down overlooked cuts like the front shoulder. Justin highlights the flat iron and Denver steak as flavor-forward cuts that deserve more attention, while Nikhil champions sous vide as a way to reduce the grind pile. “Sous vide is your best friend with wild game,” he says. “It’s not complicated once you do it once.”
The discussion also touches on food safety and respect for the animal, particularly with species like wild pig and bear. Holding meat at the right temperature, cooking low and slow, and choosing the right preparation for the cut all reinforce a broader ethic: technique matters because the animal matters.
Africa, Conservation, and Perspective
A major segment of the episode centers on Nikhil and Shiven’s recent trip to South Africa. What started as a giveaway win turned into a deeply formative experience. “It was a pipe dream for me,” Nikhil admits. “I never thought I’d actually go.” Shiven was initially skeptical, questioning the value of hunting animals so far from home. But both came away with a deeper appreciation for African conservation models.
“All the meat goes back to the local community,” Nikhil explains. “We saw people walk into the skinning shed, take cuts, and feed their families.” Shiven adds that the management practices were meticulous. “They only take older males past their prime. They care deeply about the herds.” The experience didn’t replace their commitment to hunting close to home, but it expanded their understanding of how conservation can look in different contexts.
A Shared Table, A Shared Language.
Throughout the episode, one idea keeps resurfacing: wild food is a connector. Whether it’s South Asian masala on rockfish, venison cooked like goat, or crab shared dockside after a fishing trip, food becomes the bridge between cultures, experiences, and people. “Wild food is a shared language,” Justin reflects, “spoken differently around every table.”
For Two Brown Guys Hunt, that language is still evolving, but the mission is clear. “We just want to get more people learning about it,” Nikhil says. And judging by the growing community around their trips, videos, and spice blends, that message is resonating.
Listen to the Full Episode
This conversation barely scratches the surface of Episode 256. From adult-onset hunting and first turkey hunts to African game meat, masala recipes, and why the kitchen is the final shot, this episode is packed with insight, humor, and perspective. If you care about wild food, culture, and expanding the future of hunting and fishing, this is an episode you don’t want to miss. Listen now to Episode 256: Wild Food Has No Single Culture, and join the conversation.