Books on Food - The Locavore

7 min

Mrs K.M. Mathew gained popularity after her column on Mutton Bafath

Thangam Mammen

Generations of Malayalis have grown up with Mrs K.M.Mathew’s treasured cookbooks. Read the foreword of her latest book, Mrs K.M. Mathew’s Finest, by her daughter Thangam Mammen. In a short interview with her, we discover more about her mother’s measured approach to cooking and living.

8 min

An Excerpt From The 1Shanthiroad Cookbook

Suresh Jayaram

Like most other things at 1Shanthiroad—an arts space in Bangalore—the kitchen is open to all. Suresh Jayaram remembers bright flavours from his childhood, and talks about how his family’s affinity towards feeding influences how he runs the studio.

6 min

Books on Food

An Excerpt From The Sweet Salt of Tamil: Things We Do Not Know About Tamil Country

Tho Paramasivan

The Tamils of the past regarded salt as a symbol of taste and wealth. Read this short excerpt from The Sweet Salt of Tamil in which chronicler Tho Paramisavan writes on salt, feeling, and the symbolism of salt in Tamil culture.

7 min

Books on Food

Strawberry Farms: An Excerpt From Seeds and Food Sovereignty

Dolly Kikon and Dixita Deka

With an increase in demand for strawberries in Northeast India, Dolly Kikon and Dixita Deka attempt to understand what it takes to grow this short duration crop. Read an excerpt from their book Seeds and Sovereignty: Eastern Himalayan Experiences.

4 min

Books on Food

Chasing Millets in North Bengal and Sikkim: An Excerpt From Seeds and Food Sovereignty

Bengt G Karlsson

Millets are mainly grown today for the purpose of making eu or millet wine, finds Bengt G Karlsson, while travelling through parts of West Bengal.

7 min

Books on Food

An Excerpt from Turmeric Nation: A Passage Through India’s Tastes

Shylashri Shankar

Why are certain dishes associated with rituals around death and mourning? In an excerpt on grief from Turmeric Nation, author Shylashri Shankar writes about how she remembers her father, year after year, through food.

4 min

Books on Food

An Excerpt From Sumitra and Anees: Tales and Recipes From A Khichdi Family

Seema Chishti

When a Hindu from Karnataka and a Muslim from Uttar Pradesh choose to spend their lives together, what do they cook at home? Journalist Seema Chishti’s book is an ode to her parents’ long partnership, the mish-mash of North and South right at home, and her mother’s diverse culinary traditions.

8 min

Books on Food

The Trio That’s Digitising India’s Culinary History

Shreshtha Chhabra

Creating an online archive of recipes, the Indian Community Cookbook Project attempts to preserve India’s diverse culinary heritage. They talk to The Locavore about the oldest book in their archives, accessibility, and the measure of pau chammach.

9 min

Books on Food

An Excerpt from Bene Appetit: The Cuisine of Indian Jews

Esther David

In Bene Appetit, Esther David, a Bene Israel Jew herself, records traditions and closely guarded recipes from Jewish communities from across India. In this excerpt, she travels to Andhra Pradesh to learn about the cuisine of Bene Ephraim Jews.

6 min

Books on Food

An Excerpt from Spiced, Smoked, Pickled, Preserved: Recipes and Reminiscences From India’s Eastern Hills

Indranee Ghosh

In the opening chapter of the book, author Indranee Ghosh writes about her grandfather’s culinary adventures in Cherrapunji, where he had just moved to work as a preacher for the Brahmo Samaj.

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