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KOHIMA — A book titled ‘The boy who loved food’ written by Dr. Theyiesinuo Keditsu and dedicated to her father on his 72nd birthday was released on October 12 in Kohima.
“The book is a portrait of my father’s life as he shared it with me and a reflection on the bond that has tied us together: our mutual love for food,” the author said.
"As a child, I would sit beside my father, listening to his stories—memories stirring with flavours and aromas, told in the language of meals. His love for food was something I absorbed both through his tales and the way food was central to our family’s life. For me, food was always available, a source of joy and pleasure. But I have come to realise, for my father, food was survival, a way to push back against a world that often left him wanting. His childhood was marked by scarcity, and the simple act of having enough to eat became a symbol of triumph, a small but significant victory over a difficult past", she said.
She went on to add saying, "My father grew up during a time when to use a gynaecological metaphor in his honour, our society was in the labour pains of birth into modernity, beset with one tempest after another of conflict and upheaval. Food, for many in his generation, was a means of creating moments of joy and comfort in an otherwise hard existence. We must not forget that for many Nagas, our famed love for food is about reclaiming something essential, asserting our survival, and creating a sense of abundance in the midst of lack".
As she grew older, Keditsu said she began to understand that food for her father was a language expressing love, care and a sense of belonging.
This realisation helped her see how food became central to their relationship.
"The bond we share, forged over years of meals and conversations about food, transcends the specifics of what’s on the plate. It lives in the stories, the memories, and the ways we’ve connected beyond words. The ‘Boy Who Loved Food’ is my way of preserving that connection. In writing this book, I’ve come to realise that food is complex, nuanced and deeply intertwined with who we are. It is about survival, love and yes, memory", Keditsu shared.
She added that the book served as a reminder of the many ways one can express love. She expressed hope that the book would encourage all to actively cultivate history through deliberate and conscious acts of remembering.
Releasing the book, Colo Mero, social entrepreneur, observed that the author brought a heartwarming story that is sure to capture hearts.
"This book tells the story of a boy and his daughter, bound by their shared love for food," he said.
The author has invited readers into the world of warmth, connection and joy, reminding that food is more than sustenance saying, it is a language of love that spans generations.
The assistant professor of English at Don Bosco College, Kohima, Adenuo Shirat Luikham, while giving a review of the book, mentioned about the relevance in children's lives. She said the book is relevant because it addresses issues that children face while growing up.