Celebrate Local Foods And Cultures At The Nilgiri Earth Festival

The undulating landscape of the Nilgiris is breathtaking to see and offers unforgettable experiences that will linger in your memory. The mist-covered, verdant Nilgiris are just as beautiful as the delicate Neelakurinji flowers that give the region its name. The Nilgiris is among the most biodiverse regions in India, and known for indigenous cultures and communities. This December, you can experience it up close at the Nilgiris Earth Festival (TNEF). Formerly known as the "Nilgiris Wild Foods Festival," the five-day event will showcase high mountain foods and dishes of the local and indigenous communities.

The Idea Behind The Festival

Over the course of five days, the festival elevates the region's organically grown native foods while highlighting its deep-rooted cultural heritage and ecological significance. The aim is to amplify traditional knowledge systems and environmentally conscious practices. And raise awareness about food, culture, and ecology as a necessity for the region's preservation. At the event, you will get the opportunity to meet culinary experts and renowned chefs, regenerative farmers and gardeners, thinkers and artists, local artisans and musicians, and local communities.

What To Do

Workshops, Talks And Trails

The festival will host a variety of talks, demos, and workshops. You may have heard about how the world is emphasising millets as a basic staple that is better for the environment than wheat and rice. It's also supposed to be healthier. If you want to learn more about the nutritional value of heritage rice and local millets in India, Devi Lakshmikutty, co-founder of Bio Basics, will be giving talks about it. Devi has been an active participant in movements such as the 'Save Our Rice' Campaign and is an advocate for agro-biodiversity conservation. Devi will demonstrate how to incorporate locally available, nutritious grains into our daily lives through a millets workshop at the festival's Habba event, while also introducing their inherent health and environmental benefits.

Celebrate the essence of Badaga heritage at "Paruva," a 10-course tasting platter. The Badagas are an ethno-linguistic community in Tamil Nadu's Nilgiri district. This feast, held among the hills of the Nilgiris, will take participants on a journey through their community's history, music, customs, and food traditions. The menu, prepared by skilled Badaga chefs, will incorporate local millets as well as other indigenous ingredients. Rich Badaga food staples and traditions will be available, ranging from game and foraged goods to unique treats deviating from traditional fare.

Executive Chef of The Little Earth and a founding member of the festival, Chef Arup Kakati will merge his deep understanding of local flavors with the expertise of renowned chefs and diverse food cultures in the Nilgiris at the Chef's Table.

You can also sign up for guided walks to tribal settlements in the Nilgiris with experts .

Of Birds And Bees

Do not miss the talk by Dr. Nicola Bradbear, the Director of Bees for Development of United Kingdom, an innovative, award-winning NGO in support of apicultural development. Dr. Bradbear will tap into nature-based beekeeping, beekeepers, and the dangers faced by pollinators today. And unravel just how reliant the world is on bees to maintain the fragile balance of nature and their role in our survival.

The festival will also feature a Honey Bar with unique flavors and notes in locally sourced honeys for sampling and rare, fun flavors available for purchase.

The events are ticketed separately. You can book your tickets here. Find out more about the festival here.

Indigenous Food Fests On The Rise

Festivals and events celebrating the food of indigenous cultures are gradually taking off in India. In Meghalaya, a series of unique walks are building awareness about local knowledge systems on food and medicinal plants of the region. You can sign up for the workshops run by BuDa Folklore, an institution that works in coastal Karnataka to preserve the rich biodiversity and folklore of the indigenous people of Uttar Kannada. In addition to guiding responsible tourists on tours of the area that highlight the symbiotic way of life of the tribal groups, they aim to preserve traditional culture and heritage. In Maharashtra, you can stay at the forest farm of Van Vadi and learn about food foraged from the forest. Run by women, the Mei-Ramew cafes in Meghalaya are showcasing traditional indigenous cuisine

Getting There

The Nilgiris Earth Festival (TNEF) is being held from December 19 to 23 across multiple venues in the Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu. Check here for the details.