"27 Women poets, 102 anonymous and a total of 473 poets over centuries created a body of work, which came to define Tamil culture. And then most of it falls into oblivion for much of the second millennium AD. They were preserved by and rediscovered in the monasteries of Hinduism, particularly those related to the Shaivism sect, near Kumbakonam, by colonial-era scholars in the late nineteenth century. This week, we travel to Tamil Nadu and uncover how Sangam Literature shaped food in Tamil Nadu. Tune in, and discover, how our landscapes and ecology shape our foods, and how they get modified by the forces of time. Special thanks to the kickass producer of our show, Anthony for graciously taking time for this episode. He runs his own show .... Thanks also to Deepa Iyer, who kindly helped with research and gave direction to my curiosity for this episode. Go check out her Kolam's on her Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/dipsiyer/?igshid=NGExMmI2YTkyZg%3D%3D"