From Hands That Feed: A Karya Anthology

Built with contributions from our communities across ten endangered Eastern Indic languages, this book documents recipes as living records of memory, landscape, and tradition. In capturing over 1,000 recipes with text, audio, images, translations and ecological notes, our contributors built ELR-1000, a culturally grounded multimodal dataset for AI models. Their work revealed something clear: AI cannot learn what it cannot see, so when communities are paid, credited, and centred, they become true co-authors of the digital future. We felt this knowledge shouldn’t remain only in datasets or research papers, it deserved to be held, shared, and celebrated. 

From Hands That Feed is our way of honouring the contributors who shaped it, preserving knowledge that is at risk of disappearing, and inviting readers into kitchens the digital world rarely sees.

From Hands That Feed is not just a cookbook—it is a living archive of food, culture, and community memory. Collected from ten districts across Eastern and Northeastern India, this carefully curated volume brings together indigenous recipes shared directly by community members in their own words and imagery. Each dish tells a story—of monsoon harvests, forest ingredients, traditional kitchens, and knowledge passed down through generations. This 120-page hardbound edition, encased in a protective sleeve, is thoughtfully designed to honor both the recipes and the people behind them. The book documents regional ingredients, cooking practices, and food traditions that are rarely represented in digital spaces. Whether you are a culinary explorer, researcher, chef, or simply someone who values authentic food narratives, this book offers a meaningful journey into India’s diverse food heritage. 

For international shipping queries, please email curation@champaca.in.