CSE releases its third book in the First Food series, titled Business of Taste

Four celebrity chefs release the book formally, conduct live cooking demonstration of the recipes documented in the book 

New Delhi, December 14, 2019: “The business of good food is invisible and nascent -- but this is a business that must be encouraged to grow and take over our lives,” said Sunita Narain, director general, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) at the launch of CSE’s new book. First Food-Business of Taste is the third volume in a series on ‘good food’ -- food that is not junk, food that connects nature and nutrition with livelihoods. 

The first of the First Food books, released in 2013, had focused on linking food to our culture and biodiversity. In 2017 came the second volume, which took ahead the discussion on recipes and the knowledge of plant diversity. The third volume is an attempt to understand how critical the production of this food is to the livelihoods of communities that grow it, and makes a case for valuing this food. 

Vibha Varshney, associate editor, Down To Earth and the person behind this series, elaborates: “Take the case of chironji (Buchanania lanzan), which is gathered and collected by tribals in central India. The seed is sold and made into sweets: for the poor tribals, this is a crucial source of income. Why can’t this food get a better value for them? Why can’t we pay them a little more for this produce of the forest, so that the forest and the tree are valued?” 

First Food-Business of Taste documents known and unknown recipes from across the country (as did its earlier two volumes). It also features some people whom Narain refers to as “changemakers” – well known chefs who have shared some select signature recipes in the book. Says Narain: “These chefs lead the way on what is good food -- they are the ones who must help shape this new connect between food, nutrition, nature and livelihoods.” 

CSE invited four of these featured chefs to release the book formally here today: Anumitra Ghosh, co-curator, Edible Archives, Kochi-Muziris Biennale; Manish Mehrotra, corporate chef, Indian Accent; Manjit Singh Gill, food advisor, ITC Hotels; and Rajiv Malhotra, corporate chef, Habitat World. The chefs also conducted live cooking demonstration of some of their recipes presented in the book. 

For more information or to request review copies:

Souparno Banerjee of The CSE Media Resource Centre, souparno@cseindia.org / 99108 64339 

To order a copy, or a set of all three books, please visit: https://csestore.cse.org.in/books/pollution-and-health/combo-offer-all-three-first-food-books.html