I have been documenting various aspects of Coorg (Kodagu) for over one and a half decades through my websites, books and videos. The idea is to develop resource material on Coorg.

 In the absence of a script for the Kodava language, there was not much documented material available on the history and culture of Coorg. It was only after the British annexed Coorg in 1834, various aspects of Coorg life and culture were chronicled by the British administrators.

I am of the view that documenting life and practices of a community cannot be done by one individual. It requires a multidisciplinary approach, as with my book “The Romance of Indian Coffee” which won a prestigious Gourmand World Cookbook Award in 2016.

In the circumstances, I invited several writers and researchers to contribute their expertise. I wish to thank them all, especially Boverianda Chinnappa and Nanjamma, who have been of great help.

During the course of my research and documentation, I realised Coorg had a rich culinary tradition which was worth preserving.

To that end, I put together the Coorg recipes website www.coorgrecipes.com in 2006 with assistance from knowledgeable persons. There was provision in the website for people to contribute their Coorg recipes.

Over the years, the recipe website has garnered a rich collection of Coorg recipes contributed by home cooks. With the internet boom, there has been steady traffic to the site, from readers seeking Kodava recipes. People living away from Coorg have found it an invaluable resource when seeking recipes for traditional favourites.

Not being too familiar with culinary practices myself, I felt the need for involving someone knowledgeable in the field and with food writing experience, to curate the site to ensure the quality of the recipes being featured. I roped in Biddanda Shalini Nanda Nagappa (in picture), a Canada-based food blogger, who hosts “A Cookery Year in Coorg”, the most authentic Coorg food blog. Her popular blog features well-researched articles and family recipes.

I am pleased to announce that all this rich material on www.coorgrecipes.com is in the process of coming together in book form, which will be a more handy format for readers. The recipes range from traditional favourites, to innovative takes on classic preparations.They include top chef Naren Thimmaiah’s recipes for fish and chicken preparations in the Coorg style.

The book will also feature interviews with personalities in the culinary and cultural fields, and essays on various aspects of Coorg food and culture that have been contributed to the site. The proposed book will be well-illustrated with colour photographs of ingredients and preparations. The book will be curated by Shalini Nanda Nagappa.

– P. T. Bopanna