Foodstories presents The Rakhi Exchange: An ode to the third sibling that’s always had a seat at the table

The definition of family has changed. Today, it extends far beyond bloodlines and surnames. It’s built through shared routines, inside jokes, late-night conversations and the people who keep showing up, long after the occasion has passed.

It’s the friend who has been called “bro” for so long that nobody remembers why. The cousin who became your first best friend. The work sister who knows exactly how you take your coffee. The girl gang that has quietly grown into a sisterhood. The people who never had to be related to become family.

That’s exactly where Rakhi finds itself today. Not as a celebration of one relationship, but of every relationship that has come to feel like home. At Foodstories, we’ve always been fascinated by the little rituals that turn people into family, and how food quietly finds its place in every one of them.

In many ways, food has always been the third sibling.

For founders and sisters Avni and Ashni Biyani, that thought has always been deeply personal. Growing up, Rakhi wasn’t remembered through the gifts they exchanged as much as the rituals they returned to every year. Their aunt’s pudding arrived before anyone even asked for it, desserts were split with surprising precision, hidden snacks somehow never stayed hidden, and the table always became the place where the celebration truly unfolded.

“We’ve never been interested in creating gifts for the season. Every idea at Foodstories begins with a conversation around the table. Rakhi felt like the perfect moment to explore the relationships that quietly shape our everyday lives. Some are the ones we’re born into, others are the ones we choose, but they’re all built in remarkably similar ways, by showing up, sharing meals and creating rituals that become our own,” share Avni and Ashni Biyani.

Those conversations became The Rakhi Exchange, a curation inspired by the people who steal your fries, finish your dessert and still expect the first bite of yours.

At its heart is the Sibling Archive, where every dessert is named after a memory you’ve lived by yourself. The One We Shared. The Midnight Snack. The One Mom Hid. The Fancy One We Never Got. The One You Stole. Together, stuffed cookies, brownies, truffles, cookie sandwiches and chocolate clusters become less about dessert and more about the wonderfully familiar stories we keep retelling.

The spirit of sharing continues across the collection. Open Together Boxes are designed for the middle of the table, bringing giant Pizzookies, brownie and blondie boxes, cinnamon rolls and oversized s’mores cookies that are meant to be pulled apart rather than politely portioned. Nostalgic puddings return in comforting flavours like Hokkaido Milk, Brown Butter Banana and Passion Fruit, Mango & Coconut, while Chocolate Fondue Kits and the interactive Picasso Edit invite people to slow down, make a mess and create something together instead of simply opening another gift.

The Rakhi Exchange doesn’t stop at one box because neither do relationships. Some call for giant Pizzookies, brownie and blondie boxes, cinnamon rolls and oversized s’mores cookies that are meant to be pulled apart, passed around and argued over. Others deserve the comfort of puddings in Hokkaido Milk, Brown Butter Banana and Passion Fruit, Mango & Coconut, bringing back a dessert that’s quietly slipped away from our tables. For those who believe dessert should be an activity, Chocolate Fondue Kits and the interactive Picasso Edit invites everyone to dip, drizzle, paint and make a delicious mess together.

Then come the personalities. The Glow Up Sibling Box is for the one who swears by matcha and morning rituals. The Breakfast in Bed Box is for the sibling who believes slow mornings deserve good coffee and flaky cinnamon palmiers. The Carb Loading Hamper is for the unapologetic comfort-food lover who’ll never say no to fresh bread and pantry favourites.

And then there’s the cheeky Nepo Baby Hamper, packed with favourites from SuperYou and The Good Bug, complete with its own Nepo Kid Manual for the one who somehow always gets away with everything.

The Rakhi Exchange also makes room for a few more favourites, from a limited-edition Chapter 2 merchandise box and the nostalgic Satmya Mukhwas Box to Papa Patel’s trio of hot sauces. Different personalities, different flavours and different stories, because no two relationships deserve the same gift.

The Rakhi Exchange is a reminder that the best gifts aren’t chosen for the occasion. They’re chosen for the relationship.