Reclaiming Food CULTURES

MEET FOUR WOMEN CHEFS PAYING HOMAGE TO THEIR TRIBAL CULINARY TRADITIONS AND PASSING DOWN CULTURAL KNOWLEDGE FROM ONE GENERATION TO THE NEXT

INDIGENOUS CHEFS ACROSS THE world are revolutionising the culinary landscape by incorporating traditional foods and culinary practices in their gastronomic creations. There has been a remarkable shift in India as well towards acknowledging and showcasing the diverse range of indigenous cuisine. Through restaurants and social media platforms, they are promoting knowledge sharing while preserving the heritage of tribal food cultures. Here are the stories of four Indian female chefs who have sparked conversations around food sovereignty and culinary roots.

KAREN YEPTHOMI

Karen Yepthomi has been running Dzukou Tribal Kitchen for nearly a decade. The Delhi-based restaurant, which serves the cuisine of Nagaland's tribes, takes its name from the Dzukou Valley, on the border of Nagaland and Manipur. She has won several awards for her work, including the Vasundhara Women Entrepreneur Award and the National Women Excellence Award.

Speaking about the narrative strands like food and identity, Yepthomi, who belongs to Nagaland's Sema community, says, "Some of my earliest memories are of my mother cooking sticky corn, known for its stunning pastel rainbow colours, and taro roots, freshly picked from our homegrown garden."

Yepthomi explains that the northeast diet is built around locally sourced ingredients, often eaten with green vegetables and abundant fresh herbs. "A must-try dish at Dzukou is the smoked pork axone (fermented soya bean) and pumpkin seeds chutney. Green vegetables and rice accompany every meal."