Long before labels were conceived to communicate a movement, food in Orissa was slow. When livelihoods depend on agriculture its only natural that people are tuned in to the cycle of nature. The consumption of food is directly linked to seasonal crops and the cycle of harvest.
Furthermore the preparation of foods from the staple crop is slow. The lack of automated mechanisms means production is in the hands of the community. What has evolved is something of a small-scale cottage industry.
Let’s take rice as an example. In Orissa there are over 100 varieties of rice grain. From this we see multiple forms of rice preparation; boiled, puffed, pressed, ground, roasted and fermented, all done at a village level under the organization of local cooperatives.
This short film demonstartes how one such preparation sustains an entire village. Grass Routes has always advocated locally produced food. All our camping trips and many of our village visits support village-led cottage industries. Not only does it sustain local communities but it keeps tradition alive and tastes good too!
Furthermore the preparation of foods from the staple crop is slow. The lack of automated mechanisms means production is in the hands of the community. What has evolved is something of a small-scale cottage industry.
Let’s take rice as an example. In Orissa there are over 100 varieties of rice grain. From this we see multiple forms of rice preparation; boiled, puffed, pressed, ground, roasted and fermented, all done at a village level under the organization of local cooperatives.
This short film demonstartes how one such preparation sustains an entire village. Grass Routes has always advocated locally produced food. All our camping trips and many of our village visits support village-led cottage industries. Not only does it sustain local communities but it keeps tradition alive and tastes good too!
‘Ukhuda’ a delicious rice and jaggary preparation akin to Rice Bubbles made in Orissa.
1 comments:
It is sad that Oriya food is literally unknown outside the state. Many non Oriyas labour under the misconception that our dishes are the Bengalis make !
The wide variety of Oriya food makes it appealing and tasty adn a definitely unending treat for gastronomes!
For e.g., no other state has the nearly 100 varieties (or maybe more !) varieties of sweets we make.
Each region has its own distinct cuisine. Bamboo shoot is a delicacy in western Orissa but coastal people do not eat it.
Grass Routes should have a special culinary tour where visitors can partake of the exclusive Oriya cuisine cooked the traditional way.
During Rajjo festival, we make nearly 50 varieties of pitha or cakes in our villages. Why doesn't somebody open a pitha joint in Bhubaneswar?
Post a Comment