Terra Madre: A Global Celebration
Today, the 10th of December, is Terra Madre Day.
Terra Madre Day, which means Mother Earth Day in Italian, is Slow Food International’s anniversary. It is the day on which Slow Food members across the global network celebrate local, traditional food, food biodiversity and sustainable food practices.
I find it incredible to think about how on this one day, several millions of people all over the globe are celebrating Slow Food practices, all together!
Two years ago, in the very spirit of Terra Madre Day, we organized the Festival of Forgotten Foods at Christ University. This went on to grow into SWAD, a student-led food club initiated by me and a few of my fellow students at the Department of Hotel Management.
Since then, I have had the opportunity and pleasure to get to know so many more people in the Slow Food network, both in India and internationally. I even had the privilege of meeting the inspiring Mr. Carlo Petrini himself, the founder of this powerful movement! And needless to say, along this journey, I have learned oceans and oceans of new beautiful things within the world of local, traditional and sustainable food!
Travelling to various villages across the country to learn about the traditional food practices of India, has been one of my biggest learning experiences. What better way to connect with Terra Madre, than to sit down with a family in their simple country homes and eat a traditional meal made with produce grown and gathered from Mother Earth herself! To learn how people across India work to preserve their indigenous food, grow it and respect it. And then to share that food with them!
Tomorrow, in celebration of Terra Madre Day 2016, there is a gathering of some members of the Bangalore network! Among other things, they will be celebrating with some of India’s little-known local cheeses from different parts of the country, with Aditya Raghavan, an artisanal cheese maker.
And it pains me to say that I’LL BE MISSING IT! One of the first times the Bangalore network is meeting, and I’m not in Bangalore! Someone please create the technology for humans to be in more than once place at a time – FAST! * sob *
I hope they have more such gatherings soon, so that I get an opportunity to meet and learn from more people in the Indian Slow Food network.
Terra Madre Day, which means Mother Earth Day in Italian, is Slow Food International’s anniversary. It is the day on which Slow Food members across the global network celebrate local, traditional food, food biodiversity and sustainable food practices.
I find it incredible to think about how on this one day, several millions of people all over the globe are celebrating Slow Food practices, all together!
Two years ago, in the very spirit of Terra Madre Day, we organized the Festival of Forgotten Foods at Christ University. This went on to grow into SWAD, a student-led food club initiated by me and a few of my fellow students at the Department of Hotel Management.
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| The Festival of Forgotten Foods, 12th December 2014 |
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| SWĀD organised a Disco Soup event on campus |
Since then, I have had the opportunity and pleasure to get to know so many more people in the Slow Food network, both in India and internationally. I even had the privilege of meeting the inspiring Mr. Carlo Petrini himself, the founder of this powerful movement! And needless to say, along this journey, I have learned oceans and oceans of new beautiful things within the world of local, traditional and sustainable food!
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| The Indian Delegation at the WFTP Slow Food Youth Conference in Milan! |
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| With some new friends from the South African Delegation at WFTP in Milan |
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| With two of my fellow Indian delegates and Mr. Carlo Petrini himself! |
Travelling to various villages across the country to learn about the traditional food practices of India, has been one of my biggest learning experiences. What better way to connect with Terra Madre, than to sit down with a family in their simple country homes and eat a traditional meal made with produce grown and gathered from Mother Earth herself! To learn how people across India work to preserve their indigenous food, grow it and respect it. And then to share that food with them!
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| Our host's mother, in Bhujodi village of Kutch, Gujarat, serving us hot khichdi topped with pools of ghee |
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| Our host in Nongtraw village, Meghalaya, showing us the finger millets harvested from her Jhum field |
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| Our host in Khweng village, Meghalaya, peeling 'wang' - stems of the yam plant growing in her backyard - to make a fresh salad to go with our dinner |
Tomorrow, in celebration of Terra Madre Day 2016, there is a gathering of some members of the Bangalore network! Among other things, they will be celebrating with some of India’s little-known local cheeses from different parts of the country, with Aditya Raghavan, an artisanal cheese maker.
And it pains me to say that I’LL BE MISSING IT! One of the first times the Bangalore network is meeting, and I’m not in Bangalore! Someone please create the technology for humans to be in more than once place at a time – FAST! * sob *
I hope they have more such gatherings soon, so that I get an opportunity to meet and learn from more people in the Indian Slow Food network.
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