Around 20 people meet in Indiranagar every month to discuss books about Indian food. They focus on how food intersects with caste, politics, gender, and history. The ‘Food in Indian Literature’ club is free to join and is part of the food-related activities that Prachi Grover organises under the name ‘From Words To Wok’. The management professional-turned-culinary consultant started the club in September 2023.
The club attracts a diverse crowd — homemakers, working professionals, food researchers, and authors. Genres ranging from non-fiction to memoirs and travelogues are discussed.
The latest meetup, held in December, discussed Pushpesh Pant’s ‘From The King’s Table to Street Food: A Food History of Delhi’. “Pushpesh traces Delhi’s food history back to when the region was Indraprastha. He also reflects on how its food culture has evolved since he moved there in 1965,” says Prachi. The next discussion, on January 18, will focus on Zilka Joseph’s collection of poems, ‘Sweet Malida: Memories of a Bene Israel Woman’. It explores the food, customs, and journey of the Bene Israel Jewish community in India.
According to Prachi, “food isn’t just about taste or nostalgia; it’s also tied to oppression”. The discussions have ranged from the disproportionate burden on women to prepare ritual and festival foods to the hard labour involved in harvesting salt. Their 11th meetup, centered on ‘Dalit Kitchens of Marathwada’ by Shahu Patole, critiqued caste through the lens of food. “Two attendees bought 10 copies to distribute to others after the session. One got a copy placed at a cafe,” Prachi recalls.
Third or fourth Saturday of every month, 11 am to 1 pm, at Atta Galatta, Indiranagar. Look up attagalatta.com