Indulge in indigenous cuisines with a twist at Wild Food Fest in Kurla

Matru ki bijlee ka kantola bamboo Marie with a dip infused with mahua and tamarind kurdu cigars and raan bhaji and gharbhandi pakodas mdash these are just some of the quirky names of dishes that are being devised by thirdyear students at Don Bosco College of Hospitality Studies Kurla for the forthcoming annual Wild Food Fest The festival in its sixth edition will be held in association with OOO Farms a farm movement working with the tribal farming community for indigenous native and heirloom seed conservation cultivated and foraged food documentation tribal culture preservation and creation of a supply chain of more than 200 tonnes of tribal produce in Maharashtra and Gujarat Of the 10 directors seven hail from the tribal community and most are womenA woman from Rathva tribe of south Gujarat holds a basket of fresh mahua flowersSix years ago its cofounder Shailesh Awate was invited as a guest to a pada in Jawahar Palghar where he sampled 35 wild vegetables mdash all with different flavours and aromas ldquoMy palate had never witnessed anything like this Every tribal family had cooked one dish for us and the head of the tribe questioned them about where they had found it whether it was in abundance or was it scarce and if it required conservation It made me think of how in the cities we use words like sustainable ecological and organic loosely but donrsquot practise putting the wisdom to userdquo says Awate Thatrsquos where the idea for the first Wild Food Festival was sown With their firstmover advantage the fest showcased 200 wild edibles and medicinal plants and soon enough chefs and restaurants joined hands to set up a supply chain ldquoOur initial response was negative as we didnrsquot want to take away the tribersquos food and nutrition However they informed us that some wild vegetables grow like grass and are available even more than cultivated foods We then created a wild food economy that fetched them more money than cultivated grainsrdquo he addsA wild food thali with over 40 wild vegetable preparationsToday they work closely with the Kokni Warli Mahadeo Koli Katkari Bhils and Rathva tribes Cofounder Shikha Kansagara says ldquoInterestingly wild edible plants are naturally diseaseresistant and adaptive to microclimatic changes such as low rainfall high temperature etc Compare these with introduced or exotic plant species that wonrsquot survive such changes mdash thatrsquos the difference we must appreciate This traditional knowledge of the many indigenous communities of India on edible resources and wisdom of consumption mdash transmitted from one generation to another mdash deserves documentation to widen our food sourcesrdquoParticipants explore an array of indigenous food at a sessionAt the festival visitors will witness a documented showcase of 150 to 200 wild vegetables foraged from the forests of the Sahyadris In fact the Western Ghats have been identified as one of the 34 global biodiversity hotspots There are over 40 wild vegetable dishes on the tasting menu We sensed the enthusiasm while speaking to Annabelle Rodrigues above head of department hospitality studies at Don Bosco College of Hospitality Studies when she said ldquoThe students are quite excited to be working alongside 20 tribal women who would be sharing their ancestral wisdom and recipes for these vegetables mdash we couldnrsquot have asked for better handson learning for our students From waiting staff to chefs to housekeeping mdash this event serves as a wellrounded experience for all our studentsrdquo At dinner there will be a buffet spread of 25 dishes from mountain cuisine cooked by tribal farmers A cultural showcase of tarpa players tribal dancing and Warli painting as well as a farmerrsquos market will also be a part of this event In addition there are panel discussions with domain experts like conservationists anthropologists scientists and chefs to create awareness about and understand noncultivated wild foods and their importanceAnnabelle RodriguesAwate sums up the mood ldquoBy hosting the festival at a hospitality college they are creating a space where students community members and food enthusiasts can come together learn from one another and collectively celebrate the rich culinary diversity of Maharashtrarsquos tribal heritagerdquoA collection of wild cornOn Sunday August 27 230 pm to 10 pmAt Don Bosco College of Hospitality Studies DWing near Kohinoor Mall Kurla WestLog on to wwwooofarmscom to registerEntry Rs 1250 per person