Food is not merely a means of subsistence but it holds the key to understanding histories of migration, survival and assimilation. When communities are dislocated, they do not sever their ties from their past. They keep it alive to honour their roots and their ancestors.
Esther David’s new book, Bene Appétit: The Cuisine of Indian Jews, exemplifies this spirit of continuity. Published by HarperCollins India, it explores “how Indian Jews have preserved their food habits in a multicultural country like India, which has diverse cuisines.”
The subject of this book is intimately tied up with the author’s own identity. She belongs to the Bene Israel Jewish community of Ahmedabad in Gujarat. She has also received the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute Research Award, US, for the study of Indian-Jewish cuisine.
Combining the elements of a travelogue and a recipe book, the author conjures up vivid portraits of Indian Jewish life which is unknown to many Indians because the community has shrunk in size over time. She writes, “There are about 5,000 Jews in India.”
Because of the persecution faced by Jews in various parts of the world, there is a strong urge to preserve their culture through the transmission of culinary traditions. The author mentions that “Indian Jews follow a strict dietary law of kosher but have derived ways and means of using the correct regional ingredients to abide by this law.”
The book does not assume background knowledge. It introduces readers to the nitty-gritty of Indian Jewish cooking. Mixing dairy products with meat dishes is forbidden. Pork is taboo.Most Jewish communities have an elder known as shohet, who is knowledgeable about which animals can and cannot be eaten, and how animals are to be slaughtered. Jews are expected to wash chicken, mutton and fish in salt water to remove all traces of blood.
The author clarifies that kosher meat is difficult to come by in India, so many Jews prefer to be vegetarian. Some avoid dairy as well. They use coconut milk in curries and sweets.When kosher wine is not available, it is substituted with homemade grape sherbet. The challah bread, traditionally eaten while observing Shabbat or the day of rest from Friday evening to Saturday evening, is replaced with chapati or store-bought bread. The adjustments and reinventions indicate a remarkable ability to accept change and adapt.
The Bene Ephraim Jews of Andhra Pradesh make gongura leaf chutney and ariselu laddoos. The Baghdadi Jews of West Bengal enjoy cucumber zalata, hilbeh and kooba dumplings. The Cochin Jews in Kerala make meen pollichathu, pastel and chicken in creamy cashewnut sauce.
The Bene Israel Jews of Maharashtra and Gujarat make tandlya-chi-bhakhri, tilkut potatoes, puran poli and chik-cha-halva. The Bnei Menashe Jews of Manipur enjoy fish heads, bamboo shoots with green chillies, and black rice pudding. The Bnei Menashe Jews of Mizoram make chicken pulao, colocasia stir fry, rice puris and pakoda curry.
The author celebrates the commonality and diversity among Indian Jews. The food they eat is influenced by where they live, what is available around them, and who their neighbours are. They honour their dietary law and also incorporate local ingredients and flavours. At the end of the day, traditions are not fossils; people reinvent them to suit their needs.