The best food stories often begin with a simple dish. In her moving essay for Vittles, Melek Erdal reflects on the comfort, memory, and cultural significance of soup, recounting her journey to CIA’s Worlds of Flavor® International Conference & Festival, where she joined renowned Turkish chef and culinary anthropologist Musa Dağdeviren to demonstrate the making of traditional yayla çorbası. Her story perfectly captures the spirit of Worlds of Flavor—bringing together chefs, traditions, and personal narratives from around the globe to deepen our understanding of culture through food and inspire new culinary ideas.