Confusion prevails over who wrote 1st Cooking Book in Odia

Books related to “How to cook Odia Dishes” (Odia Cooking Books) in Odia language are widely popular among Odia people in Odisha and outside, though the publication of such books is very limited in the contemporary times.

Recently, Smt Shanti Samal was awarded as the Rosei Rani (Cooking Queen) and accorded as the first writer of Odia Cooking Book in Odia language. She is definitely a great writer in the subject matter of Odia dishes or Odia cooking, but it would be a great mistake if she is counted as the first writer in this field.

There are no dearth of writers who have written books in the area of Odia dishes and Odia cooking process in Odia language much earlier to the writings of Smt Samal.

Renowned journalist Bhakta Tripathy pointed out the issue on social media. He says, very few people know that Smt Kuntala kumari Dev from Kherash village of Jagatsinghpur district has written a book titled with “Bibidha Randhana Sikshya O Sahaja Pak Pranali” way back to 1960. The book was published by Shri Radharaman Pustakalay in Cuttack. One cannot find an older book than Smt Dev’s piece of work, Tripathy stated.

Time has certainly come to find out– who is the real first writer in the field of Odia dishes and Odia cooking process in Odia language or else it will drag a controversy in the days ahead, just like the recent Rosgulla issue.