It’s my favourite story and I never tire of telling these kinds. The best way to doubling farmer’s income is to build traceability. I think in a strictly commercial sense, the organic tag has reached its peak. The costs have stayed high, the market grows only slowly and the tag ‘organic’ has been diluted as customers have no way of knowing what is and what isn’t organic. A label by itself does not evoke trust. Organic 2.0 needs farmers to own the brand, traceability to…Continue Reading “Koraput Coffee, traceability and doubling farmer’s income”
Last time I was in Odisha, brand Adisha was making a lot of noise. I saw it first on social media and spotted an under renovation near Rupali Chhak. While I thought it was a new brand, I was told they have been around for decades. Unlike a Utkalika or a Boyanika, I had never heard of this Odia brand. But I guess that is set to change. My Koraput Coffee is straight from the store. The store is still being stocked. The cashier asked…Continue Reading “Odisha has a coffee now – Koraput Coffee”
A guest post by Sujata Dehury Yesterday, I called my uncle and my father in law and spoke to them about rice. They both became happy, sad, nostalgic-all at the same time. All these rice they and I (to a certain extent) grew up eating,are no longer harvested. Farmers have moved on to high yielding crops to avoid risk. However, there is light at the end of the tunnel. A friend informed that a group of farmers are doing a Desi Bihan Mela (an exhibition…Continue Reading “Heirloom rice varieties from Odisha”
I have done cafe and lounge bashing for years. Came out as this angry bitter person who had nothing good say. Found a place I can say good things about. After Thomas Fenn and Zachariah Jacob, Sharmistha Mukherjee-Cheema has decided to feed the north Indians some good food. This time from Andhra. First, it is a bold decision to open such a restaurant in that dying Green Park market. But I was surprised to see that the market has transformed with wide footpath and benches…Continue Reading “Tenali Junction, Green Park, Delhi”
Breakfast. Brunch. Evening snacks. Dinner. Deep fried bara, piaji, singida and gulgula etc are a whole day affair. Once on a panel, a Odia food writer and yoga expert went on and on about how Odia food is the healthiest and every meal is a meal of superfoods. We do get carried away a little when it comes to regional patriotism. But the story will be incomplete without accepting that from 6 In the morning to 10 in the night, you can find deep fried…Continue Reading “Streetfood breakfast and snacks places in Bhubaneswar, Odisha”
The bus stand in Cuttack has a trademark soundtrack. A nasal voice on a loudspeaker warns you about jadu, kachu, kundia and advises you to use Tarun Ayurvedic’s Scabidol. This morning while we drove past, we heard the same advertisement. The billboards have changed – now there is a Scabidol, Scabigun and etc etc, all of them warning you of copycats. While the world does not need BTex lotion anymore, Cuttack still needs Scabidol on their inner thighs.
How do you generate business for innovation? While we have been trying to get money out of corporates and govts, how can we, as consumers, support innovation? Until now, I have been ordering all my stuff from Amazon. It’s convenient, easy to trust and has never failed me. Given the millet freak that I am, I am hooked to the ProNature brand that sells on Amazon. During the last few months, I had asked some brilliant startups why they didn’t sell on Amazon? Was it…Continue Reading “I skipped Amazon. Ordered from Ekgaon.”
“When Allah created the world, he created mountains to weigh the world down so that it wouldn’t fly away. Just like one puts down heavy pegs at the corners of tents to prevent them from flying away”, this was the last story that Rahmatullah Sahab told us before we left the Paigah Tombs. A story he recounted from the holy Quran to explain to us the beauty of the Deccans. The moment we walked into the Paigah Tomb complex, we were greeted with the sight…Continue Reading “Siwara – A mortar that bonds at Paigah Tomb Complex”
Lot of futurists are discussing how humans can be different from AI. Some others are trying to break down empathy into algorithms. Before every other skill and before teaching it to machines, we must teach empathy to humans. People need to feel more, connect better, value values. Currently, the way we look at solutions and effectiveness is completely devoid of empathy. Be it a small farmer who needs to adopt a new tech; a customer who needs to be upgraded to a new product suite,…Continue Reading “Do we need to be trained in empathy?”
When the house is on fire, Stare at the moon, The night is young, And the air is cold, The sentries are asleep, The arsonists grow bold. When the house is on fire, Stare at the stars, The sky is a puzzle, And you connect the dots, The neighbor is being dragged out, The wall that connected slowly rots. When the house is on fire, Dance under the rain clouds, The rains come for free, And, you own the puddle, Another one was tied to…Continue Reading “When the house is on fire, stare at the moon”
Someone remarked today that crimes by the dalits and muslims are not highlighted in the media. But cow crimes are reported everywhere. It’s just media bias. I tried to explain cow related mob lynchings are hate crimes. I don’t think I got across. So here is a short explanation. It’s a hate crime is one in which the victim is identified and targeted because of his/her identity. Normally, the victim has physical and obvious markers of belonging to a community. Beard or skullcap, skin color,…Continue Reading “Does India need a hate crime primer?”
Who will pick up the plates? You will take money for food!! When we were planning to launch ForkTales, my wife’s family was super cool. My family had questions of the above kind. Yesterday, I met a friend whose wife cooks well and wants to do something on her own. He is ready to put her into a chef training course but not do pop-ups at home. The questions come from the caste and class system that most of us so vehemently deny exists. There…Continue Reading “Planning a food pop-up? Who will pick up the plates? “
The soldier that is caught and is stoic is a hero. The soldier that complained about runny dal is booted out. The soldier’s wife that stood strongly by the dead body is a hero. The soldier’s daughter that called for peace got rape threats. The soldiers that are blown up and can never talk are heroes. The soldiers that demanded pension are enemies of the state. The only ones that make money off soldiers are politicians and ‘defence analysts’. The only…Continue Reading “Good soldier, Bad soldier”
Okay, the universe wants me to write this. Second consecutive day that I am part of a conversation about sadhguru. Both the times I am told that he speaks well. I am also told even if he killed his wife, he has inspired so many that his contribution outruns his crime. And, then the person goes on to say it must have been an accident. I asked if the person also supports Asaram Bapu? So I am told rape is a heinous crime. Murder is…Continue Reading “The criminally innocent elitism of Sadhguru fans”
When you explore or explain a new concept, it is a simple practice to eliminate what the object of study is not. It is an effective practice but only in the beginning. Once you have eliminated what it is not, you need to start defining what it is. When it comes to Indian food, it is easiest for people to say what it is not. Whether it is a resident Indian food writer or a non-resident Indian chef, everyone has a clear list of what…Continue Reading “Process of Elimination and Indian Cuisines”
Streetfood is the sign of a city’s body and mind. Streetfood tells you how safe and active a city is. It also tells you what the intentions of the city are and how it wants its citizens to behave. Let me explain. Two years back, while walking back from the promenade in Pondicherry to our hotel, I and my wife were a little worried as it was well past midnight. Though there were people on the road, the streets were dark. And, then we saw…Continue Reading “Kolkata: Of streetfood, pice hotels and access to protein”
Okay. This week is having a horrible start. But I have to say this. Yesterday, Chef Ashish Bhasin from Leela Gurgaon posted a video about an Odia biryani that has curry leaves and mustard seeds. He called it the singature biryani of Odisha. As per facts, Odisha does not have a biryani of its own. He called it a Koli biryani. There are no kolis in Odisha. Biryani with mustard seeds is a horrible idea and thank god it does not exist outside of his kitchen….Continue Reading “Don’t be lazy, Chef.”
In this series, I will talk to people who have taken a leap of faith, pursued their passion at a great cost or are balancing their passions with a life that makes it extremely hard to follow those passions. These people should not be seen as heroes or ideals. But they establish that more is possible, alternatives are worthwhile and there is no single lens to look at people and measure them. The series starts with Shivendra Sharma who quit his job at World Bank…Continue Reading “Passion Parade: Shivendra Sharma, Chalung House”
Woke up to quite a few wishes of happy ratha jatra. I did not even know it was today. Was never a big fan of the god or the ritual. The jatra, specifically, is a terrible reiteration of caste and religious exclusivity that the temple stands for today. I don’t know much about the temple or the rituals as I was never interested. But top of my mind, here are a few things that is wrong with the whole institution: 1. The King is a…Continue Reading “Why ratha yatra is a celebration of caste and religious exclusion”
Had a debate with a few friends about death and if we can wish it on others, especially parents. I said we can wish it on anyone. When someone is terminally ill, many of us wish death than prolonged suffering. I have so many friends who have been releived when parents passed away. The sort of moral hegemony that nooooo, i will never wish death for anyone is idiotic and very un-Hindu. Of all religions, it is Hinduism that not just tells you to be…Continue Reading “Wishing death”