Knowing South Asians through what they eat

Writing about food involves more than just telling a story The nostalgic power that the food you eat possesses can be used to narrate a dishrsquos own journey its crossings and how it shapes people and their perspectives Thatrsquos what USbased Dr Madhushree Ghosh has done in Khabaar An Immigrant Journey of Food Memory and Family University of Iowa Press Rs 1398 taking food essays into an entirely new direction engaging the reader on many levels Khabaar in Bengali refers to food and for Dr Ghosh the book was meant to be a query into what it means to belong to a place through its culinary references ldquoWhen people move to different parts of the world what keeps them with hope What does food represent to them especially those they have no access to in the adopted country Along with that I braided my own life as the daughter of Partition refugees and as an immigrant graduate student to America almost three decades agordquo she addsSpicy tomato chutney with ginger garlic and thai chiliesGhosh has reflected on her life as a woman of colour in science someone to have left an emotionally abusive marriage and one who continues to keep the memory of her parents alive by adopting Americarsquos fresh produce to cook Bengali food or her version of it She has been writing versions of Khabaar on and off for nearly 20 years Ghosh wanted to focus actively on showing the world that South Asians are more than the standard Green Cardfocused H1B visastuck or constrained in traditional culture in a foreign land For South Asians this book should seem familiar almost nostalgic but Ghosh feels it is for anyone who is curious about the history and ramifications of immigration migration and indentured people ldquoIt is for Anyone who wants to learn beyond history books anyone who cares about diversity equity and inclusion but most of all belongingrdquo says Ghosh whose comfort food is a dal tadka and rice ldquoA simple seasoning of ginger green chilies nigella seeds followed by the pouring of pressurecooked dal into it and a dollop of ghee to me is heaven In drinks mango lassi given itrsquos mango season in India with juicy puree a touch of ground cardamom and very little sugar is perfectrdquoMadhushree GhoshGhosh feels that the Westrsquos understanding of literature amplifying or appreciating foodfocused South Asian narratives hasnrsquot been very successful ldquoI am of course not talking about straightup cookbooks but rather books that challenge the status quo Most such books written by South Asian authors nonfiction are not as personal open or focus on social activism so directly Very few authors including Sharanya Deepak Raksha Vasudevan Anjali Enjeti or Rajiv Mohabir continue to question the norm educate and passionately champion othersrdquo says Ghosh who deftly toggles between the past and present in this titleWhat piques our interest is how through her own story she speaks of the many womenmdashregardless of their national identitymdashwho begin to wonder that if they cook and serve well they will have a successful marriage and a place to belong They are so focused on feeding and satisfying others that they lose a sense of self This writerrsquos favourite is the final chapter The Rituals of the Great Pause In it Ghosh tells us how during the Coronainduced lockdown she tended to a vegetable garden paying homage to her fatherrsquos bountiful green patch and how she has learned to cook for herself again literally and figurativelyCan you inherit foodldquoI am not sure if older generations pass down the recipes that the younger generation can do it justice But if a recipe is written you can jump off that area into the next phase of lsquomodifyingrsquo itmdashwhich is how recipes can then be made from memory but with a touch of the individual who continues the tradition Irsquom not a fan of pressuring the younger generation to make old recipes it doesnrsquot create respect for your roots but rather a reticence to respect or make those recipes What makes sense is that we guide them with written recipes and expect them to be changed for their own needmdashfood changes as it travels especially when it does through the next generation and their priorities A recipe can only guide and give directionsrdquoWhy Bong food is uniqueGhosh calls Bengali food elevated subtly flavourful quite scientifically driven and one that has evolved over time ldquoThe fact that you eat greens and fibre first to enable salivary glands and stomach gastric juices to prepare the stomach followed by dal protein chicken or fish even more protein mixed in with white rice carbohydratemdashitrsquos joyous to see how systematic Bengali meals are