Hello and welcome to the February episode of The Storied Recipe. I’m here today with an episode that was well worth waiting for.
Kaveri Ponnapa wrote The Vanishing Kodavas - a deep cultural study of her people group who were devoted, above all else, to the rolling hills and deep, dense forests of their land, Kodagu.
The origins of this remote & warlike people are unknown and their history is purely oral - they have no written language. Against those odds, Kaveri embarked on the immense past of not only recording, but understanding and interpreting, her people’s culture and customs.
The Kodavas remain in existence and they keep many of these customs intact - not by isolating themselves, but rather by inviting and encouraging neighbors and descendants who live in the modern world to return, celebrate, and learn.
In addition to stories from her people and a discussion of her laborious writing process, today Kaveri is sharing a delicious mushroom curry recipe with us. This dish is emblematic of all that is vanishing (or is in danger of vanishing) - the customs of the Kodavas, monsoon season, and fields covered with mushrooms and moss as far as the eye could see.
Welcome to Kaveri and thank YOU for being here to listen.
Highlights
- Why Kaveri wears saris almost exclusively - the art and siginificance of making saris
- Who are the Kodavas and why are they vanishing
- Warlike traditions that persist in customs
- The stunning hills and forests of Kodagu and land as the highest ideal in ancient Kodava
- Women's role in this ancient people group, including her aunt and mother
- Kodava as home to Kaveri
- The importance of land laws to preserving a way of life
- The significance of community when maintaining their traditions
- How the Kodavas were betrayed by their own
- Mushroom Curry - the one secret ingredient
- Her grandmother's kitchen with the giant wood fireplace and full of earthenware
- Is flavor different cooked in earthenware?
- Mushrooms that looked like snowfall, mushrooms that were hallucinogenic
- Drastic changes from a monsoon season to barely a monsoon season
- The medicinal plant that grew wild in Kodagu during mosoon season
- Book writing process: Combining academic/historical and folk knowledge
- What is at stake if the Kodavas vanish entirely?
Listen to Kaveri Now
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How To Contact Kaveri Ponnapa
Instagram: @kaverikamb
Twitter: @KaveriPonnapa
Website: TheVanishingKodavas.com
More Links
Try coffee from Kaveri's home of Kodagu! Bean Song Coffee
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Ponnanna M P says
Hello Becky …. It was an excellent conversation with Mrs Kaveri Ponnapa and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Waiting for the next one after the launch of her cook book.
Thank you 😊
admin says
Hi MP! Thanks so much - I enjoyed the conversation so much as well. I felt very honored and grateful that Kaveri took the time to come and speak so openly with me!! Thank you for your comment - hope you have such a nice day! Becky
Rajan Nair says
Lovely episode with Kaveri Ponnapa. Her thoughtful responses to Becky's well-researched questions were a treat. There is so much that I learned from this episode that I felt that it could easily have gone on for another hour. Her answer to the question "What is at stake if the Kodavas vanish entirely?" summed up the need for us to preserve so many vanishing cultures and legacies around the world. Hope Kaveri comes back on the podcast. Wishing her the very best in her quest to preserve the proud legacy of her people.
admin says
Rajan - Hi! Thank you so very much for commenting! I agree - I'm so grateful to Kaveri to preserving the stories - historic and mythological - of her people as both are important to understanding our own experiences as humans. I am already looking forward to my next conversation with Kaveri - and to reading her book and trying more recipes. The mushroom curry was just delicious. Thanks again and please have a wonderful day!
Nithya Srinivasan says
Congratulations, wonderful and mesmerising podcast, enjoyed the episode of The Storied Recipe. I have now added two things to my bucket list, one to attend Kodava wedding ceremony and two to visit Kodagu.
I could experience Kodagu people’s culture just by listening to this podcast . Kaveri has a beautiful voice and accent and Becky makes the conversation very interesting.
Thank you for the this wonderful Podcast
admin says
Nithya - Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a lovely comment!!! I agree - the vision of I have of Kodagu is what dreams are made of - I would love to visit one day. And I couldn't agree more - Kaveri's voice is so melodic, warm, and gentle. Very inviting. Thanks again for commenting and I hope you have a wonderful day!!
Accamma Nanjappa says
Brilliant talk. I am immensely gratified that Kodava culture and cuisine is being discussed on the world stage. As always, no one better to do this than Kaveri. Thank you for keeping our land and our people " alive"
admin says
Accamma - thank you so much for this lovely comment! I learned so much from Kaveri. Does Bean Song Coffee use beans from Kodagu? If so, I'd love to link to your site in this post - please let me know! Thanks!
Accamma Nanjappa says
Yes we do. 🙂
admin says
Ok, I've just added a link in the post!!
Accamma Nanjappa says
Thank you so much. Much appreciated. If you are a coffee person, I would be delighted to send you some coffee 🙂
admin says
I sure am!! Emailing right now - thank you!!
Saroja S says
The chat between Ms. Ponnapa and Becky was delightful. It was not just extremely enjoyable listening to the amazing line of questions as well as Ms. Ponnapa responding in her most immaculate and well articulated manner but also so many anecdotes and points in the chat made me so emotional, happy and such an awakening to realise what we stand to lose if we do not make an attempt to preserve our beautiful, rich and unique culture. Her work of literature has been one of my most important ways of getting back to our roots and understanding certain nuances. The point when she says, "The seasons make our people what they are" - So so true. Regardless of who we are, it is indeed all the seasons endured in the sun, monsoons, dark overcast skies, cold winter evenings are all things that make us, our lifestyle, food habits et al. Cannot wait for her book on Kodava cuisine to come out and for Becky to do a follow-up feature on The Stories Recipe as promised!
admin says
Saroja - Thank you!!!!! for such a thoughtful and emotional response to Kaveri's episode. I am fascinated - and a little jealous - of people who are so defined by their seasons. I often wonder if some of the mental health issues that are so very prevalent in my own country are aggravated by the fact that we are so out of step with nature. I am so grateful to Kaveri to introducing me to so many thoughts and ideas - and for connecting me in some very small way to people like you, who can understand and relate to everything she said.
Lopamudra Mishra says
This was such a heart warming and an extremely insightful episode at the same time. I was literally transported to Kodagu with Kaveri Ma'am's immaculate narration, her articulated responses and Becky's very well thought-out questions. What Kaveri Ma'am describes about this, "With the loss of certain foods, an emotion that emerged from a particular season also fades and eventually disappears" was so thought provoking and in turn brought back a lot of memories of monsoons from my home state as well. I think that's the power of such conversations. This was such a great listen.
Lopamudra Mishra says
I also wanted to add that Coorg has always remained very special for me from the time I lived in Bangalore and travelled there for pleasure. This episode was like reliving those vacations but this time enriched with the wealth of stories, history, anecdotes and knowledge. Thank you Becky for bringing along Kaveri Ponappa on your show. Her blog The Coorg Table is a heaven for food and culture and needless to say that I absolutely adore her sarees, her beautiful and exquisite writing about the art and artisans, and so actually listening to her voice was an absolute pleasure.
admin says
Lopa, thank you so much for taking the time to share your reactions to Kaveri's episode and your own insights and memories. The whole experience of interviewing Kaveri has made me feel connected to so many people I will probably never have the opportunity to meet. Amazing privilege.
ramya reddy says
Kaveri has been a huge inspiration to me in my own journey as an author who has explored a mountain region in the Western Ghats. Her spectacular magnum opus on the Kodavas was a source I turned to for inspiration every so often as I waded through rough seas during my own explorations.
This was marvellous interview & Becky’s questions & prompts are so thoughtful. It was my Spotify walk companion this morning.
I enjoyed listening to every minute of it. I slipped into Kaveri’s world completely while learning so much. Saris, kodava history, lush, wild erstwhile Kodagu, wild foods — just everything.
Thank you for bringing this to us.
admin says
WOW, Ramya! Thank YOU for listening and especially for such a meaningful comment. I was immediately awed by Kaveri's work, but I have been blown away by the response from so many to whom her work is so very personal. Thanks again - I'm so grateful to hear from you!