CLOSER TO THE EARTH

A foraging experience, just a couple of hours from Mumbai, shines a light on the sustainable food practices of local indigenous communities and provides a rich connect with nature

- SAMARPAN BHOWMIK

Just make sure it's not alive when you pop it into your mouth.”

With these words of wisdom guiding me, I gingerly go about the task at hand: to pick up a fire ant from the colony and eat it, so I can fathom the fascination for the famed fire ant chutney that is relished by indigenous populations in various pockets of the country.

I am at Varadhast Farms on the outskirts of Mumbai, just about a couple of hours' drive from the thronging streets of India's financial capital. But even less than 100 kilometres from the megacity, it seems like an entirely different world. Once off the highway, the roads get rough and concrete gets sparse. As bothered as my backside is by the bumpy ride, my weary city soul finds balm in staring out the window as we go past thatched roofs, crop fields and borewells. By the time I arrive at the farmhouse, my lungs are heaving in gratitude for the fresh air.

I, along with a number of other Mumbai folks, am being hosted by Shardul and Anuradha. Shardul is an architect and co-founder of Design Jatra, a firm that deals in environment-friendly and community-centric architecture. Anuradha has her own landscape architecture concern, which promotes the conservation of natural biodiversity. The experience is curated by Johann and Samuel from Jack and Hill Adventures, an experiential adventure company that is as serious about keeping the environs within which they operate pristine as they are about providing unique, fun, and mostly outdoor experiences.