The objective of the two-day festival is to make farmers and consumers aware of the dietary benefits of eating roots and tubers.
The objective of the two-day festival is to make farmers and consumers aware of the dietary benefits of eating roots and tubers.
The tubers are spending their moment in the sun. With the two-day Roots and Tubers Festival, Chennai will introduce itself to these underground treasures, which are said to be low in calories and high in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. purple yam ( rasvalli kizangu), Air Potato, Arrow Root, White Yam and Tapioca will be in the spotlight at the festival.
“Over time, we have stopped including these native roots and tubers in our diet due to some misconceptions and myths,” says Anantu of Organic Farmers Market (OFM). Krishi (ASHA), Sahaj Seed and Safe Food Alliance. “Our mission is to bring awareness to the dietary value and benefits of tubers. Visitors also get to taste a wide range of food prepared using the roots and tubers,” says N Sitalakshmi of OFM.
For example, how about sampling panangkizhangu (palm root) jam, eating panangkizangu, marawali kizhangu (tapioca) Vadai And pudding made from different types of tubers?
“The tribals have knowledge of different tubers and they roam the forests and look for them.” Seethalakshmi says that farmers can easily grow these in their fields and get a bountiful harvest.
Farmers from North Karnataka with their tubers harvested. photo credit: special arrangement
The event will be attended by celebrity speakers such as Tamil film directors Vetrimaaran, Vishnu Vardhan and Gyanvel, actors Nasir, retired IAS officer Shantha Sheela Nair and Chennai City Police Commissioner Shankar Jeewal. “Interestingly, all these speakers are farmers who are actively involved in organic farming and grow a wide variety of tubers in their fields,” says Ananthu.
Farmers will also come together for a seed exchange program where Sahaj Beej founder Krishna Prasad will talk about indigenous seeds.
The lineup also includes a contest called Cooking with Tubers to encourage innovative cuisine. Participants can prepare dishes using organic vegetables, groceries, cold pressed oils using only natural sweeteners.
Many local communities still preserve various edible tuber and root varieties today. Women from Hubli in North Karnataka set up a stall selling jowar and bajra rotis vegetables Using different tubers along with the farmers of Uttar Pradesh.
Roots and Tubers Festival organized by ASHA on 9th and 10th April, 2022 at Chennai. photo credit: special arrangement
Roots and Tubers Festival is on 9th and 10th April at Thakkar Baba Vidyalaya Complex, T Nagar. Timings: 10 am to 7 pm. Admission is free. This is a plastic free event and therefore visitors have to bring their own bags. For Details, Call: 97990900887