‘First Food: Future of Taste’ is a practical guide for climate-resilient food

Dinesh C Sharma

Erratic weather patterns, extreme rainfall events, recurring droughts and flooding are all indications of climate change. The phenomenon is adversely affecting food, water and ecological systems as well as the livelihoods of farming, fishing and other communities. To overcome the food shortage experienced in the middle of the 20th century, we adopted new farming techniques and methodologies such as the use of chemical fertilisers and water-intensive crops. In rainfall-deficit areas, irrigation as well as extensive use of groundwater became common.

Over the past several decades, this food system damaged the ecology as well as food diversity as the thrust was on cereals like wheat and rice and commercial crops like sugarcane, cotton, oilseeds, etc. Still, many local communities in tribal areas, hills and drylands continued to grow and use food crops and varieties which needed little water to grow and were sturdy. The climate crisis has brought such food crops into focus, given that they can be climate-resilient. The current limelight on millets is an example of this trend.

It is critical not only to understand the link between climate change and food systems, but also to propose options that are climate-friendly and practical to adopt. The Centre for Science and Environment has been engaged in trying to connect the dots between climate change, traditional food systems and consumers. While general awareness about millets such as bajra and jowar may be going up due to government publicity and marketing hype created by food companies, it is still cursory. There are several local foods — vegetables, fruits, weeds, spices, grasses, nuts and grains — that we don’t know about. The book is an attempt to put together information about such foods and present recipes, including those crafted by leading chefs and nutrition experts. In this sense, it is a practical guide for climate-resilient food.

Many of the forgotten or neglected foods discussed in the book are nutritious and wholesome foods — for instance, kulfa or purslane, which is also known as juni bhaji in parts of North India and nunar in Kashmir. All parts of kulfa — leaves, stems, flowers and seeds — are edible and contain several micronutrients and vitamins. Similarly, faba bean or bakla phali can be consumed both as a green vegetable and as a pulse along with other legumes. Karela or bitter gourd is a popular vegetable and several of its dishes are popular in different regions, but few would know that bitter gourd leaves too can be used in making interesting dishes like pakora.

In Odisha, bitter gourd leaves are added to some rice dishes as an additional ingredient. In Karnataka and Maharashtra, tamarind seeds are consumed in different ways — flour from these seeds is used to make dal vada or added to wheat dough to make rotis. Field bean or dolichos lablab is yet another legume-like seed grown and consumed in central India. In the Northeast, tiny and bitter brinjals that look like miniature pumpkins or cherry tomatoes are a part of many dishes. Even the usually discarded kernel of watermelon can be used to make stir-fried sabzi as well as jams and pickles. The book is full of traditional as well as new recipes for such food items. Vibha Varshney and other contributors have meticulously collated cultural, scientific and nutrition-related information, along with new and old recipes. They are grouped under different categories — breakfast and snacks, meals, chutneys, pickles, desserts and beverages.

For a climate-friendly world, the dictum should be: ‘eat locally-grown food’. The book points out that traditionally grown crops are good for climate and food systems. Edible wilds, it says, can help achieve several of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals related to food security, nutrition, health and biodiversity. However, the promotion and cultivation of these resources should be undertaken in ways that are sustainable and equitable for local communities. Overmarketing can be dangerous, as appears to be the case with millets. The book is an excellent compendium useful for all those interested in climate change, food, nutrition, health and sustainability.