Shruti Tharayil is a self-taught herbalist and founder of the initiative “Forgotten Greens” where she showcases disappearing knowledge about the wild edibles that grow in India’s diverse ecosystems.
She believes every community – irrespective of class, caste or religion – has had a history of consuming uncultivated foods at some point, and her intent is to localise and decolonize narratives around food by reawakening and reclaiming disappearing and lost culinary recipes, stories and folklores.
On a journey of active unlearning, Shruti gave up her PhD and set up an NGO that engages with Adivasi children and youth through self-designed learning and mentorship. Experimenting constantly to reclaim autonomy of her life, Shruti has been part of forward-thinking projects like Swaraj University, Learning Societies UnConference, the Dalai Lama’s Foundation for Universal Responsibility, India Youth Jam and South India Jam.
Apart from her multiple day jobs, you will find Shruti engrossed in gardening, crocheting, cooking, or just daydreaming about a wild edible plant.
