This curry, re-heated and re-served after 1999 loses none of its piquant, spicy and thoroughly enjoyable flavour and appeal: The chef, journalist Binoo K John, has served us this travelogue—‘travels in Malabar’ to commemorate 500 years since Vasco da Gama first approached the shores of Calicut. John crisscrosses Kerala mixing the ingredients that make up this enigmatic and paradoxical state to provide the reader with a mouthwatering dish in the form of this book.
There is Kerala’s complex and complicated history—the way its Rajas and the Zamorins dealt with the British, French, and Dutch—and each other. There’s a bit of religion—how it is one of the few states in India where Hindus, Muslims and Christians co-existed amicably.
There are the peculiar contradictions and paradoxes of its society and economy: Keralites look outward —especially to the Gulf and are not particularly taken with their own beautiful state, where they would rather go on strike than do a hard day’s work. Yet in the Gulf they work harder than they would ever dream of doing back home, Marxism or no Marxism. Communism took root in Kerala and the ‘work ethic’ alas vanished. It did give rise to such oxymoronic situations as having a farmer called Marx having to till his own fields because his labour went on strike for higher wages!
The state has the highest literacy rate in the country and the average Malayalee would prefer to recite poetry or read literature than produce goods and services. The male’s attitude towards women is patriarchal— insubordination and rebelliousness is not tolerated. Yet wife-beating is rare, John says, as the women have jobs and are independent. The Keralite is meticulous about maintaining machinery and vehicles so public transport works well.
The biggest draw for the colonials was of course the spices that Kerala was renowned for, especially black pepper and cardamom. We get to sniff the rich aromas of spice trade and meet people handling it. We also get a taste of the myriad curries and biryanis, it is renowned for.
The book marvelously sketches the state whose people are now dropping their revolutionary zeal in favour of consumerism. But there’s hope, John says, stating that if the Keralite were to put his or her mind to something—nothing will get in his or her way in achieving that goal.
Entertaining and anecdotal, backed by good research and made quite delicious with sprinkled peppery humour, this book is wonderful for anyone wanting to explore one of India’s greenest and most beautiful states that hides behind ordinary lives.