Visitors to the food festival hosted by the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) in Vellore were treated to a rich spread of traditional delicacies. The three-day “Traditional Food Festival” was inaugurated at the Town Hall on Tuesday.
It aims at promoting awareness on the benefits of traditional food, particularly millets, according to S. Bakkiyarajan, project officer of ICDS, Vellore.
The festival was already organised during the two-day summer festival at Yelagiri Hills early this month. Last week, it was put up at Vaniyambadi.
Planned in four places
“We had planned to organise the festival at four places in the district. This is the third place, and next, it would be held at Arakkonam,” he said.
He pointed out that the objective was to create awareness on the nutritive value of traditional food such as millets and cereals.
“We want to show and tell people the benefits of traditional food and how it can help in maintaining good health and also prevent diseases,” he said.
The millets took newer forms by means of delicious recipes.
Millet-based recipes consisting of “ragi”, “kambu”. “varagu”, “samai”, “thinai”, “cholam” and “kudirai valli” were displayed at the festival.
Apart from the traditional “ragi” porridge, recipes including “ragi ladoo”, “aval puttu”, “ragi puttu” and “parappu vadai” were also on display.
The festival shed light on the many delicious recipes that can be made using millets, and also described the method of preparation. Pamphlets on the recipes and nutritive value of the food were also distributed.
Collector R. Nanthagopal inaugurated the festival that would go on till Thursday.
The event, which was held earlier in Yelagiri and Vaniyambadi, will now move to Arakkonam
