Once upon a time, in a forest far away there lived a young girl. The girl had lost her parents when she was just a baby, and she had no other family that she knew of. She continued to stay by herself, and grow up in the forest, the place that she knew as home.  But she had many friends in the forest. She knew all the trees and plants, and they gave her their fruit, seeds, and flowers, different ones in different seasons. She knew all the birds and animals that lived there, and could recognize them by their calls and pugmarks. She knew the springs where cool fresh water flowed, where she could wash, and bathe and drink from. And she also knew that by planting some seeds in the earth, before the rains, would lead to a small crop of plants that she could eat, some for their leaves, some for their roots, and some for the seeds as they ripened. The seeds were of many kinds, some tiny, some larger, and of many colours—pearly white, greenish grey, reddish brown, and many shades of yellow.

The girl in the forest grew up to be strong and healthy young woman. She also grew into a beautiful and graceful maiden. One day as she was walking through the forest, humming a tune, she heard an unusual sound. It was the sound of hoof beats. Most animals in the forest walked and ran on nimble feet, making hardly a sound as their feet touched the ground. This clip clop sound was not one that she had heard before. As the sound grew closer, the girl hid herself behind a tree and peeped cautiously and curiously. From the thicket there emerged a horse, and on the horse rode a handsome young man. The girl had never seen such a sight before. She could not resist stepping away from her hiding place to get a better look.

The rider was a young prince on his way back to his kingdom. He too had never seen such a beautiful maiden before. It was love at first sight! The prince got off from his horse and stood before the lovely lady who was looking at him with undisguised curiosity. She was so different from all the ladies that he met, ladies who acted coy, who dressed in expensive silks and velvets, and were adorned from head to foot in shining jewels. After all he was a prince, the king-to-be, and every maiden in the kingdom dreamed that she would capture his heart and, someday, become the queen.  

This young woman was clad in the simplest of garments, but her skin and hair shone like silk, her face exuded a glow that came from within, and her limbs were lithe and strong. She stood erect and fearless before the young man, innocent but self-assured.

The prince was sure that this was the woman who would be his wife. He spoke gently to the maiden, but put forth his proposal. The young girl was also taken with the young man. She had no idea about kingdoms and kings and princes, and no dream or desire to live in a palace and be a queen. She liked the young man for what he was. And she was of an age when she felt that she was ready for adventure. She said yes!

The prince and the maiden returned to the palace, and were wed. With time the bride settled into her new life and role. She learned to wear the finery, and the manners of royalty. But she could not easily relish the meals that were served. Every meal was like a feast. There were many kinds of bread made from the finest refined flours, numerous dishes rich with oil, butter and spices, and the widest array of sweetmeats laden with sugar and ghee. These were prepared by the finest chefs in the land. The new bride had never, in her simple life in the forest eaten such heavy food. Her body could not digest the extravagance of seasonings and ingredients.

After some time the young woman found that she her body was changing. She felt lethargic; without the energy that she once had to walk long distances, climb trees, work with the soil—digging, planting, tending, harvesting. Her once sinewy limbs were no longer as strong as they once were, and she was becoming plump like the doves that cooed in the courtyard. Her taste buds were satiated; they no longer relished the overpowering deluge of flavours.

One day the young royal sneaked out of the palace in disguise. She went to the local market. As she walked around she saw the heaps of fresh vegetables and fruits and pictured these as she had once seen them, hanging from the branches, and growing from the soil. She came to a grain merchant’s shop and there she spotted the familiar seeds and grains that had sustained her in her days of living in the forest. She realized that these were what her body had been craving. She got these different seeds packed and returned, still incognito, to the palace.

Back in her luxurious surroundings, the queen-to-be got some of these seeds roasted and started having them for breakfast. The kitchen staff was taken aback. These were what poor people ate. How can a rich and royal personage want to eat such humble cereals? But their duty was to do as they were instructed.

 One day her husband found her eating her breakfast of multi-coloured seeds and wanted to know what they were, and why she was eating them. She said that for her these were as precious as pearls, because these are what had sustained her in her childhood and youth. It is these staples that had given her the nutrients and energy that she needed to stay healthy and active. She requested that henceforth, these seeds should become a part of the royal menus. As a royal prerogative she gave these “poor man’s” seeds their names.

The ‘pearls’ were called Bajra, Jowar and Cheena. The ones that were in different shades of yellow, green-grey, red-brown, that reminded her of the colours of the forest were named Kangani and Kakun, Kodo and Proso, Ragi and Kutki, Kuttu and Rajgira.

And so it came about that these poor man’s seeds became a part of the royal kitchen and diet. The queen-in-making devised new recipes and dishes where these could be tastily used, and the chefs added their own touches to these. The ‘pearls’ proved their value. The palace residents began to feel lighter, healthier and stronger.

Time passed. The young bride became the queen, and in time, she and the king also passed on. As with the cycle of change, there were later generations that went back to the rich cuisines that once signified wealth and status. With that came also the effects on people’s health and well-being.

 Until one day a newly-married princess discovered, among the dusty tomes in the palace library, a book of recipes of the ‘pearl seeds’.

We have come full circle again.

Celebrating Millets!

–Mamata