Terra Madre Day 2010 – Delicious Traditional Recipes

At the Terra Madre Conference in Italy, we registered for Terra Madre Day. ‘The Traditional Connect’ is what we titled the event on December 10, 2010 to celebrate the Terra Madre Day. Across the globe, this day was celebrated in an endless number of ways this year, from small gatherings to large events world over, creating a resonance in the human community to walk the route of traditional eating, farming and living once again. A day when thousands participated in events across the globe to pay a tribute to Mother Earth & work for her preservation. More than 1150 events in 120 countries. The activities took place in a wide variety of locations, in many countries across the world: in cities and rural areas, in schools or community centers, in cinemas or on farms, restaurant or at home, or even on a boat! The idea is to be creative and join the movement!

At Pritya, we planned a potluck lunch and contest along with The Duchess club, an active women’s club in our city Chennai, India. The President of the club, Ms.Nina Reddy graciously threw open her sprawling lawns & residence for the event which had close to a 100 participants & more than SIXTY delicious, traditional food preparations on display for the contest & lunch! At the entrance, 108 betel leaves beautifully strung together added a traditional touch to the ambiance!

Enthusiasm was a contagious energy that day and soon the atmosphere was charged with delightful camaraderie. As our knowledgeable judges of the day began their very tough task of judging the best recipes & their presentation in the traditional setting, we spoke about Terra Madre & the Slow Food Movement. We stressed upon the importance of respecting & preserving traditions. Nina had invited textile & fabric weavers, farmers & traditional food producers to showcase & sell their wares on the premises. Yoga being one of the oldest traditional exercise of mental & physical health in India, we also had a short demonstration & talk about the benefits of yoga. This was followed by two fun-filled games that were as informative about traditional food as they were enjoyable.

Jigyasa Giri, the compere of the event, speaks about Terra Madre Day & says – “I pledge to complete the twirl, the swirl, the circle! To be unrushed, to be slow, to be in rhythm, like the swaying trees – My Mother Earth”. We made some heartfelt pledges for the sustenance & preservation of mother earth and her bounty. Simple, doable pledges that dealt with water & energy conservation, upkeep of traditional values & recipes in our homes, and slowing down our urban life pace.

Pratibha Jain taking her pledge – “My Mother Earth. I will teach my children to enjoy traditional lores & recipes so that tradition may reach out to our children & theirs as well”.

Srivalli Jetti posing with the winners! She judged some of the preparations that day as she pledged: My Mother earth – I will teach my children to enjoy nature by taking them hiking & trekking.

Ever gracious Nina Reddy & famed cookbook author Sabita Radhakrishna bond with a smile. Nina pledges – “My Mother Earth. I will respect all living forms and love at least one animal in my life time.”

Judges of the day Kavita & Sabita pledge – “My Mother Earth, I would learn to maintain the human connect despite living in the virtual world of internet. My Mother Earth. To keep her green, I pledge to water a tree every day.”

Shivani – “My Mother Earth. I will use the bucket rather than the shower so that you may not dry up. I will harvest rain water & recycle water.” Sujata – “My Mother Earth. To cherish her warm lap, I will connect with my elders & share a smile and laugh with them.” Anu – “My Mother Earth. I pledge to allow her to breathe freely by using cloth bags instead of plastic bags whenever possible.”

What a fulfilling day! Oh mother earth, we are so glad to have paid this tribute to you. Later at our traditional, classical dance school, our ‘namaskar’ (obeisance) to Bhoomi Devi (Mother Earth) took on a more tangible, earthy significance…beyond its spiritual overtones.