In a first, the diversity of the traditional food of the Gutti Koya tribe was highlighted at a food festival held at Ramachandrapuram, a habitation of Internally Displaced People (IDP), in Chintoor agency in the Alluri Sitarama Raju district.
The one-day festival was held on January 20 under the aegis of Jana Vikas Society (JVS), an organisation working on the rights and livelihood of the Gutti Koya and Konda Reddi tribes in the Godavari agency.
The IDPs migrated from naxal-hit Chhattisgarh a few years ago and settled in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Odisha borders.
51 varieties
As many as 51 women from the Ramachandrapuram habitation have prepared 51 authentic delicacies using products collected from the forest nearby.
While the food recipies have been passed on from many generations, a majority of the food sources are not fully explored by the present generation.
Ramachandrapuram Patel (village elder) Kunjam Bheemaiah inaugurated the festival in the presence of nearly 600 fellow tribals who thronged from various habitations of the IDPs.
Gutti Koyas gather at the food festival held at Ramachandrapuram of Chintoor agency in Alluri Sitarama Raju district. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
The pickle prepared with red ants by Kunja Ramana, ants sambar, and fish fry were a few non-vegetarian delicacies that drew the attention at the festival.
A good number of delicacies were made with leafy sources available in the forests on the Andhra, Telangana and Chhattisgarh borders.
JVS secretary Jatvi Venkatesh told The Hindu: “The food diversity of the Gutti Koyas (known as Muriya in Chhattisgarh) is incredible and not documented completely. The Gutti Koyas are still preferring their traditional food choices. Most of the food varieties on the display were prepared with uncultivated sources which are available in the forest”.
At the festival, the young women have been told about the food sources, methods of storage, varieties of delicacies, and preparation methods. The Gutti Koyas have also shared their association with the uncultivated natural resources that they use as a source of food in different seasons. For generations, rice is not the staple food choice of the Gutti Koyas.
The women belonging to the IDPs of Narsingapadu, Kamentogu, Jaggaram, and Tatilanka habitations in the Chintoor agency attended the festival. The food varieties displayed in the festival were served to the participants and the gathering to introduce the tastes of the Gutti Koya tribe.
