Goans visit a folk kitchen

Folk Living recently organized ‘Folk Kitchen’ on January 12. The participants explored authentic traditional kitchens in the remaining few Goan villages with historian Prajal Sakhardande. The event was a learning experience where people had traditional cuisine served in a banana leaf in a small village in Quepem.
The event began with a walk through the cashew trees to the house of the village host, Sunanda. A heritage enthusiast herself, she also curates and manages experiences in Quepem. Her Grandmother, 70 year oldNilavatiShabduleGaonkar spoke to the participants about the cultural dances, songs and showed how she can peel a coconut with her bare teeth. She also showcased some folk songs to the tune of the Ghumot.
ShailavatiGaonkar served the traditional lemon grass tea and ‘tovshyanchibhakri’ after which the group trekked to a nearby spring and the fields where villagers planted ‘ tambdi bhaji’ and ‘ mulyachi bhaji’. The event showed the authentic way of the making the food, pulling out a ‘suran root’ from the backyard and cooking it in on firewood on banana leaves in the mand.
Participants were then given a small painting session with natural paints. “We made paints from things available in her kitchen like haldi, flour etc. We painted ‘Ghumots’, mud pots and plates,” says a participant.
Prajal Sakhardande expressed his enthusiasm saying, “We were lead to a unique world with a different lifestyle. Here everything served to us came from the household of Gaonkar family. I was taken to a real world wherein you live with the nature. I would like to thank Folk Living for giving this experience.”