BENGALURU: There’s an old joke. A man orders batata vada at a restaurant and is appalled to find no potato filling. He questions the steward, who quips, “Is there Mysore inside Mysore pak?” But there indeed hides a little bit of regal Mysore inside every bite of the rich treat. How the Mysore pak, which was born in the kitchens of the Wadiyars, continues to conquer the sweet tooth beyond Karnataka, is a reflection of the timeless, ageless influence of food.
Food is a fable with flavour. Everything that we grow, buy, eat, serve, share, and drool over, is an edible parchment of history, whose many revelations have been celebrated, yet conserved, since when we learned to eat. When we eat food, we are partaking of a history lesson that has gone through many woks, pots, and pans, and various recipes and reiterations that have changed with every rotation of the ladle. We South Indians begin our day’s proceedings with a simple, yet power-packed plate of idli or dosae. It’s a tasty routine, before school or work. But little do we think about the legendary lore blended in the batter that wants to be heard through the splutter, sizzle, and steam, as breakfast gets done. Was idli a creation of medieval Indonesians, or does its origins lay in an old Kannada word ‘iddalige’? Never knew idli would evoke so much intrigue. Looks like dosae has a cousin in the French crepe. Are foods around the world related? Maybe! Humans haven’t been glued to the same place for eternity!
I am an unapologetic foodie, like most. Food is a part of me, and I may be living to eat! In the days when cable TV ruled entertainment, recipe shows and food trails were the way. And then there were a host of magazines and cookery books, dedicated to world cuisines, with delicious pictures that transported you to a plane of pure decadence. Food fantasy is a thing! When your Ma has the blessed hands to dish out great food, culinary trivia and conversations are an everyday affair at home. Over time, the love for things to eat only grew, and apart from the wish to sample uniqueness, seeking the story of what I was eating became a lifelong craving.
Food is the ideal cultural ambassador of a place. It represents people, narrating the bliss in their lives across generations. The kitchen became an everlasting play, with all the dishes, bowls, cups, cutlery, and more, acting out their roles to perfection, applauded by a satiated audience. Every city I traversed, the distinct spread I beheld was itself a travel experience.
Whether it was Hainanese chicken rice in Singapore, a contribution of Chinese settlers from the Hainan province; Turkish delight in Istanbul, a true delight from the Ottomans; the sheer beauty of Japanese food – enjoy it visually, even before tasting it; or the customary strawberries and cream at Wimbledon, global food follows a glorious past. Coming to India, ever wondered how the
Mumbaikars’ favourite pav bhaji came about, all for the noble deed of providing sustenance to hardworking mill workers? The interesting story of butter chicken from ‘beyond the border’, which continues to cook to this day, is another captivating example of food as a global citizen.
I was once travelling on Rajdhani Express to Delhi. Train and in-flight meals reflect heritage too, based on recipes long-held since the birth of a country’s railways, and the country an airline may represent, respectively. There is a familiar chicken curry that used to be in the repertoire on board the Rajdhani (I’m not sure if it is still served). After a couple of servings of the dish for lunch and dinner, the train halted in Nagpur. The station echoed with hawkers selling the famous Nagpur orange. After several rounds of Railway chai, and omelettes, instant noodles, tomato soup, and ice cream, the train reached Hazrat Nizamuddin. Food is a constant companion on Indian train journeys.
Food traveled, and so did history. The story of Marco Polo and ice cream, the infamous words of Marie Antoinette, “Let them eat cake,” and the use of chapatis by sepoys for covert communication during the 1857 War of Independence, are but a few tales where food featured in historical epochs.
Food continues to travel in this globalised world today. Go to Berlin, and you can enjoy authentic Turkish doner. New York and Chicago are the envy of the pizza universe. And we in the South playfully fight over which state makes the best masala dosae.
Food is an emotion. Eating habits may differ – some use spoons, forks, and knives, while others use chopsticks and hands; Some eat at the table, some on the floor, and some while standing – but eating unites. We are bound together by the same hunger that reminds us of Ma’s food, or the best-kept stirred-up
secrets in a foreign place that we once got to savour. But the bond for all things food, its stories and mysteries, and its preserved and cherished recipes served with love for taste and good health, food is our story, bringing us together. Peace on a plate, with some food for thought.
(The writer’s views are his own)