EP. 22: Gujarati Seeds and Flavors with Nital Vadalia-Kakadia

This episode features Nital Vadalia-Kakadia. Originally from the state of Gujarat in Western India, Nital has been fascinated by farming and food since she was a child on her family’s farm in India. These days, she tends to beautiful gardens filled with her ancestral Indian vegetables and herbs, as well as lush native pollinator plants, fruit trees, and cut flowers at her family’s home in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, not too far from our home in Philadelphia. She has introduced us and our community to many Indian seeds and so it was great to have this chance to visit her home and speak with her about her life, her beloved food plants, and even get a chance to share a delicious meal featuring bindhi, guar, curry leaves, amba, and so much more.

You will also hear a couple voice recordings from Truelove Seeds apprentice Tika Jagad and her father Mr. Krutarth Jagad. And at the end, our son Bryan asks Nital and Dinesh’s son Soham a couple questions about his favorite traditional foods.

SEED STORIES TOLD IN THIS EPISODE:

• Bindhi, Okra, Abelmoschus esculentus

• Guar, Cluster Bean, Cyamopsis tetragonoloba

• Curry Tree, Murraya koenigii

• Ratalu, Purple Yam, Dioscorea alata

• Lablab, Hyacinth Bean, Lablab purpureus

• White Eggplant, Solanum melongena

• Transkutukú Peanuts from the Shuar people of Ecuador, Arachis hypogaea

• Chana, Chickpeas, Cicer arietinum

• Pigeon Pea, Cajanus cajan

• Fenugreek, Trigonella foenum-graecum

• Surti Papri, Lablab purpureus

• Karela, Bitter Melon, Momordica charantia

• Lauki, Bottle Gourd, Lagenaria siceraria

• Luffa

• Jewels of Opar, Talinum paniculatum and Waterleaf, Talinum triangulare 

• Red Amaranth, Amaranthus spp.

• Tomato, Solanum lycopersicum

• Mango, Mangifera indica

• Amla, Indian Gooseberry, Emblica officinalis

• Falsa, Sherbet Berry, Grewia asiatica

• Papaya, Carica papaya

MORE INFO FROM THIS EPISODE:

• Nital's Instagram
• Amirah Mitchell's Sistah Seeds
• Tika's garden, Rabbit Hole Farm, Newark, NJ
• Kula Nursery, Oakland

ABOUT:

Seeds And Their People is a radio show where we feature seed stories told by the people who truly love them. Hosted by Owen Taylor of Truelove Seeds and Chris Bolden-Newsome of Sankofa Community Farm at Bartram’s Garden.

trueloveseeds.com/blogs/satpradio

FIND OWEN HERE:

Truelove Seeds

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FIND CHRIS HERE:

Sankofa Community Farm at Bartram’s Garden

THANKS TO:

• Nital, Dinesh, and their son Soham
• Tika and her father, Mr. Krutarth Jagad
• Zee Husain
• Amirah Mitchell
• Our son Bryan
• Ruth Kaaserer
• Cecilia Sweet-Coll