The Locavore Meetup, Mumbai, 2023: Millet Edition
Our first ever event centering millets was conducted back in March 2023, just around when we at The Locavore began our inquiry into the social, agricultural, and economic lives of these commonly deemed ancient grains. The event was organised as a part of the Millet Revival Project, in association with Rainmatter Foundation, at Ekaa in Mumbai. Attendees and The Locavore team delved into the complex world of millets and explored their continued significance in our kitchens and communities. Through an unlikely yet intentional series of events—hearing from experts working on-ground, talking to fellow attendees, and tasting delicious millet beers—everyone at the event realised how deeply intertwined our lives are with the food system.
We started with an insightful session by Marisha from Rainmatter Foundation. Marisha spoke about the relevance of hardy and less resource-intensive foods like millets, in the face of the climate crisis, emphasising that what we eat is deeply tied to the world we live in. For her, the value of a millet revival project lies in its impact and mission: to improve the food system, both in terms of consumption and production, and by bringing millets back into the diversity of our fields and plates.
Each coloured chit in The Locavore Shuffle contains a question on themes LIKE ecology, food waste, memories, and culinary traditions. Photo by Team Locavore.
The guest speaker and knowledge partner for the Millet Revival Project, Minhaj Ameen, who heads the AgroEcology Fund, shed light on how millets should remain accessible and affordable as the demand for the grain increases, while Shailesh from OOO Farms talked about how indigenous communities from Palghar, Maharashtra, rely on millets for sustenance.
After learning about the intricate relevance of millet varieties in India from experts, we broke off to begin our beloved #TLShuffle, which offered a space for our attendees to apply all that they heard to their own lives and belief systems; in fact, many team members participated too. The Locavore Shuffle, where folks have one-on-one meaningful conversations with strangers on themes around the food system, is always a success—witnessing people be vulnerable and honest continues to remind us how food connects us all. Overhearing conversations on the ways in which jowar, ragi, and kodo feature in attendees’ lives and their parents’ lives in the most unexpected ways was a moment of reckoning for us—we realised that there’s more to the millet story than popular narratives will have you believe.
“I attended a TL meet-up for the first time and didn’t just learn about millets but also got a taste of how I can make it a part of my life. My takeaways were the direct interactions with the farmers and producers, instead of just what the internet tells us, the fun icebreakers through which I picked up unique stories from the community, and tasting (read: devouring) millet dishes prepared by the volunteers. The cherry on top was how effortless it was for someone like me who’s not from the food industry to be a part of something like this. There was room for everybody to learn and grow, and there was kindness in the way information was shared,” says Eshna Kutty, Flow Artiste and Founder of Hoop Flo.
As the regular programming wound down, smaller conversations filled the room with a low din, while food and drinks appeared by the plenty. Great State Aleworks held a Millet Beer Tasting session that contributed to the feeling of discovery. Their beers—six varieties poured in six shot glasses—nudged locavores to look at millets in ways they previously hadn’t explored, and learn about the brewing process that sets millet beer apart from the malted-barley variety. The lovely folks at Great State challenged the attendees with every little pour — attendees tasted millet and non-millet beers one after the other and were asked to identify which featured millets!
(L) A Memorable Spread Featuring nachni ukdiche modak, millet granola bowls, And More. Photo by Team Locavore. (R) The ragi granola pudding topped with fresh fruit was a crowd favourite. Photos by Team Locavore.
The evening ended with a wonderful spread that home chefs from The Locavore’s community lovingly prepared, along with millet-based food and drinks from Chef Mihir of Ekaa. From nachni ukdiche modak to millet granola bowls, bhaidku (traditional millet khichdi) to millet bread with spreads—the fare was memorable. A surprise delivery of millet pizzas from Hundo Pizza, and Naachni Ladoos from OOO Farms—prepared by self-help groups the organisation works with—added variety and awe to the meal. It was a task for many of us to register that every dish, across cuisines and platters, desserts and beers, featured some variety of millets. The attendees, spanning home chefs, professional chefs, business owners, and food enthusiasts (some travelled across cities just to attend the meetup), remarked at how tasty the food was. We realised then that while language may alienate, and words may fall short, food and flavours unite in beautiful ways.
As The Locavore team packed up, all of us felt a sense of excitement and anticipation. Our first millet event had been a success; but more so, we felt the palpable potential of working with millets. A year later, though we’ve learned, questioned, eaten, and satiated ourselves with millets, the undying curiosity persists.
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