I have spoken often about my mother’s Onam spread, or my dad’s shenanigans in the kitchen, and while all these occasions are fun and games, an important factor underlines them –– they form the basis of our family’s cultural heritage through food.
Food, as simple as toast and jam, or as extensive as a fish thali, serves as a carrier of our history. As recipes of several particular dishes get passed down, it is impossible to ignore the influences of our national, geographical, and socioeconomic identities.
To capture this beauty of food, the Heirloom Project by Sri Bodanapu translates memories into something tangible. In this novel idea, a person can enter their family’s heirloom recipes, upload their pictures, and convert the collection into a real-life cookbook! Her own deep relationship with food began in the mid-80s, starting with the glorious Indian biryani. As she continues to enjoy the taste of her grandmother’s pickles and chutneys, her life came full circle when her own son held her first cookbook, which too, was a homage to her family’s heritage.
One may begin the process by drafting out the recipes and add them to a collection your choosing. After the naming of the cookbook, one can choose from one of the three available layouts, upload all the necessary content, and voila! Leave it to the Heirloom Project to hand you your very own family legacy cookbook.
At the outset, a cookbook may seem trivial, but take into account what this could mean to members of your family generations from now, and it suddenly makes its importance clear. Food always lies at the intersection of heritage and identity, and the Heirloom Project’s vision makes the same clear.
Begin your Heirloom journey here.
You can find the Heirloom Project on Instagram here.
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