Once upon a time in India.

The Food Forest at Centre for Ayurveda Biology and Holistic Nutri 83 wild edible species, 8 layers - canopy, understory, vines, shrubs, herbs, ground cover, rhizosphere, aquatic. Solanum nigrum - these humble purple squishy berries have a sweet pleasant taste. Mildly astringent pointing to their berry goodness

A little more on the ongoing attempts of the tech folks to reduce biology to its constitutive components. While I’ve said this attempt at reduction may be impossible, it’s actually the converse — reconstituting the whole from the parts — where the problem lies. More follows👇🏽 1/

The Art of Bread Making

For tea lovers! Ghar di chaa! Swaad te Rang.

2 Leaf in a Nilgiris Sunset Coonoor. Glysdale Farm

#FoodSystems class on a field visit to Nilgiris. Today we are at UPASI and Glendale Tea Garden, studying the ecosystem that nurtures tea and the challenges it faces. ATREE TDU Postgrad Connect

At the Glysdale Tea Farm of UPASI #FoodSystems class ATREE TDU Postgrad Connect

Finally some rain in Nilgiris. 2 months since the last shower. 118mm recorded yesterday night. A nice cool misty morning followed. AQI of 44 in Upper Coonoor.

Ready Set Go Tea tasting introduction.

Wild Edibles box. From the Food Forest our research group has created at our University. 76 species of wild edibles growing on 3000 sqft area in 7 layers from canopy to rhizospehere. #FoodSystems TDU Postgrad Connect ATREE

Today’s “Wild Edibles” box from the TDU food forest. Food Studies programs at TDU Postgrad Connect Boerhavia diffus Solanum torvum Ipomoea batatas Sesbania grandiflora Tinospora cordifolia

Tea in Wayanad. Made from the fine grades. Some see through the sieve & end up in the cup. Takes some getting used to. But after a couple of cups one doesn’t even notice them.

In tea country again. Nilgiri’s.

The Tribal Centre at UPASI. Tomorrow we visit a tribal village as TDU Postgrad Connect students explore the inter connectedness in the Food Systems in the Nilgiri ecosystem.

Glen’s are not there only in Scotland. This is the Glen scenery from Glenview, the UPASI HQ at Coonoor. Glens abound in Nilgiri’s, many forested, & many with tea gardens. Each Glen has its own microecology leading to its own tea character. Has never been studied systematically.

Coonoor. Inside. Outside. Breakfast at Sri Lakshmi Cafe.

Chai & Coffee. Everything tastes nicer in the Blue Mountains. #Nilgiri #tea #coffee #Coonoor

A cross-section of a tea plant. The fascinating branching pattern that is created by the plucking & pruning. These bushes are 30-y young. Average age of a tea plant in Nilgiris is said to be 70-y.

Kunjapani is an Irula tribe village near Kotagiri. Some of the foods they it. Can you name a few from the pictures below.