In this exciting interview, we chat with Prerna, the founder of the popular spice brand Food of Gods, available on Todelli. With a fascinating background in journalism, Prerna reveals how she made the remarkable transition from reporting to spicing up our kitchens. Discover her inspiring journey and the passion that fueled her shift from words to flavours.
Prerna, you are the founder of one of our favourite spice brands on Todelli, Food of Gods. Is it true that your background is in journalism? How did you transition from journalism to founding Food of Gods?
My background is indeed in Journalism, I spent over 6 years as a TV Journalist in India. After moving to Ghana in 2017 to join my husband, I got the opportunity to explore faraway lands that I never thought I would ever have a chance to visit. The journalist in me pushed me to explore, question, document, research. I tied my experiences to food ingredients andits historical and medicinal uses during my travels – from West Africa’s remote hinterlands where Baobabs, Shea Nuts grew in the wild to Iran where Saffron’s mesmerising beauty adorned its otherwise arid landscape. The unmissable wide-scale adulteration and the plethora of mass-produced imported spices in every market, be it in India, Ghana or even in upscale departmental stores in Switzerland, pushed me to research further on ingredients, farms & origins. Food of Gods was founded in Accra in 2021 and then in the UK in 2023.
We know you are a passionate advocate for sustainability in agricultural practices. Is sustainability part of the ethos of Food of Gods as well? How does nutrition influence your choices when selecting the small farms you work with for ethical herbs & spices?
Working with farmers practicing natural farming (zero chemical pesticides) is at the very core of Food of Gods. Our farm partners are guardians of heirloom spices and champions of biodiversity conservation.
Sustainability goes beyond merely focusing on recyclable packaging at Food of Gods or simply sourcing raw materials from organic-certified spice traders. I work with very selective family-owned farms with immense knowledge of their land and who are practitioners of traditional farming. Every product launch takes months of visiting countless farms in the origin country, learning from farmers big and small, researching, extensive quality testing for pesticide residues & then further visits to the farms.
Talking about nutrition, spices are not just flavour enhancers, but have been consumed since antiquity by our wise ancestors to nourish their bodies and forms the basis of functional medicine even today. Consumers are often distracted with the myriad choices of spice blends and flavour enhancers in the form of seasonings – the ubiquitous Chicken Tikka Masala, Curry Spice, Masala Chai Mix et all. Consumers are not aware of the ground realities of spices in its whole form – the nutritional benefits of every spice, knowledge of provenance or the growing conditions, the high amounts of toxins in spices to the gross neglect on Mother Earth to produce spices at a commercial scale. Food of Gods’ modest spice range aims to bring back 3 key aspects of whole & freshly harvested spices – nutrition, flavour and freshness.
What kind of spices do you offer? Can you share a brief story behind each of your products, including how and where they are crafted?
Our spices are single-variety heirlooms grown in biodiverse food forests by small family-owned farmers. Our emphasis on single-estate rather than single-origin is to focus on produce from one ‘single’ farm rather than sourcing mixed produce from one country of origin.
Lakadong Heirloom Turmeric is an extremely potent variety endemic to a small region in Northeastern India with a sky-high curcumin of over 9%, which is about 7-8x higher than other varieties grown across India. Its vibrant, deep orange hue & fresh earthy notes are peculiar to the region’s terroir.
Muziris Black Pepper is grown in a bio-diverse food forest in the Karnataka region in India in harmony alongside lemons, jackfruits & native fig trees. Ripe heirloom berries are hand-harvested, sun-dried using time-tested traditions & expertise.
Kandy Heirloom Cinnamon – Tender barks of the True Cinnamon tree are scraped, peeled, hand-rolled & then shade-dried by skilled peelers in our farm partner’s cinnamon forest in Sri Lanka. The freshly rolled quills are brittle, hence it can easily be broken into small pieces and gentle rubbed in your palms to get its sweet aroma. Its freshness is instantly noticeable.
Andapa Vanilla Beans – Vine ripened green beans are cured one-by-one using 4 generations of family wisdom and traditional expertise. Our gourmet grade vanilla is plump and pliable to the touch, with complexity & depth of flavour.
Chola Cardamom – A 100% pesticide-free cardamom grown naturally in a traditional food forest in Tamil Nadu, India – a rarity in the cardamom growing regions where farmers rely heavily on chemicals to safeguard cardamom plants from pests. Chola cardamom pods are freshly harvested every quarter and are floral yet incredibly aromatic.
Do you have a favourite recipe (or two) that our readers can try with your spices?
I had this delectable Paradise Prawns with Turmeric, Vanilla Bean and Coconut Curry in the coastal town of Antalaha in Madagascar while the green vanilla beans were left to dry for 48 hours after harvest. Locally caught prawns cooked in a turmeric, vanilla bean & coconut curry was served along with piping hot steamed rice. I recreated the recipe upon my return and I highly recommend you to try this dish.
Another recipe that is often part of my bedtime routine is Golden Milk. The benefits of our potent Lakadong Turmeric when combined with a pinch of Muziris Black Pepper and Kandy Cinnamon are profound. You can also view Todelli’s full recipe on Instagram of how to make your own Golden Milk at Home.
