Kaveri Ponnappa

Kaveri Ponnappa is an Independent writer on food, wine, travel, art and heritage. Kaveri has authored a book on the history and culture of the Kodava people, The Vanishing Kodavas, a project that spanned 15 years in the making. Over the last 25 years, she has written several articles on Kodava wedding customs, dances and cuisine.

Education

• She did her Master’s degree in social anthropology from School of Oriental and African studies-London
• Completed her Bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Lady Shree Ram College for Women-New Delhi

Career

• She grew up in many different parts of the country, and later spent several years overseas. The inspiration to write a book came when she moved to Bangalore, in 1996, and she began to spend more and more time in Kodagu, travelling to villages, attending festivals, ancestor propitiation ceremonies and meeting people in rural areas.

Achievements

• She has written extensively for The Times of India, MediaTransasia’s Swagat, Namaskar, and Indian Design and Interiors.
• She has been published in Sommelier India Magazine; UpperCrust; Food Lovers; BBC Good Food India and the Taj Magazine.
• She has been Contributing Editor at Food Lovers Magazine (2012-2013) re-structuring, creating content and editing.
• Her first book, The Vanishing Kodavas is an extensive cultural study of the Kodava people. It has been very favourably reviewed in leading publications, and also won a national award for design and printing excellence
• Her blogs, The Coorg Table and Plantation Style, are reflections on life in the coffee and tea plantations in India, especially Coorg