Of cuisine, climate and ketchup

One man’s bread is another man’s poison. So the saying goes. Here are some random thoughts on the subject.

I suppose cuisines develop and stabilize due to several factors. It could be said that recipes were originally created with grains and vegetables that were locally available. Here the climate plays a part. In South India, only certain things grow. There is not much of seasonal variation.

It is different in the North. For instance, in Delhi the spread on the table varies according to the seasonal availability of vegetables. Maiji, says in her interesting post 'ENGLISH' VEGETABLES (tomatoes, cabbage, cauliflower etc.) were rarely used in South Indian households. In the first half of the 20^th century, who would have thought of carrots in sambar?

One of the reasons for the absence of ‘English’ vegetables in the common cuisine then was non-availability. Those days they were cultivated in the cooler climates, such as that of the Nilgiri Hills. Once they became easily obtainable, people introduced them in their daily meals.

Cuisines are dynamic. People are always experimenting for improved or tastier dishes without flouting accepted parameters. Some succeed, but their creations are more often than not used for special occasions. The regular meals usually contain conventional food.

Sometimes we accept imported food ideas. The hamburger is an example of this. It was introduced in the United States of America in the 1880s. Made from beef, they became very popular in a short time. Another well-liked short meal in America is the hotdog, made with sausages.

But among the two, it was the hamburger that conquered India, particularly the younger generation. The reason is the adaptability of the product. It can be made with any meat (with chicken or mutton for those who shun beef) or with vegetables. Hotdogs probably didn’t catch on in India because sausages can’t be made with vegetables.

Talking about adaptability, first we had the simple pancake dosa. Then came the masala dosa filled with potatoes and onions, and sometimes even carrot pieces. Indian Coffee House’s masala dosas have even beetroot. This was followed by cheese dosa, keema dosa, and so on. The Pai brothers of Cochin, I believe, offer about 50 different types of dosas. In Chennai I came across tomato uthappam which resembles a pizza.

Pizza too is a foreign conquest of India. Once a trend is set, there is no stopping it. Even vada pav, which is so popular in Mumbai, has a foreign element. The bread part is certainly post-Portuguese.

Adaptation is fine as long as it blends. But sometimes one comes across atrocities. The other day we bought a parcel of samosas from a famous Chennai eatery. On opening the packet we were shocked to find sachets of tomato sauce instead of the conventional chutney.

Perhaps some people like the combination. I don’t. May be tomorrow it would be idli with tomato ketchup. Who knows?

Also see:

Nostalgia: The romance of India/Indian Coffee House

Britain strikes back at the Empire

Blue Pottery: Delftware, or Dutchware

An industry dies and from its ashes rises a new one. That is the story of Delftware, the blue and white pottery made in the town of Delft in Southern Holland. The term Delftware has almost become a generic one and is indiscriminately applied to Dutch ware, the pottery from The Netherlands.

While photographing Gzhel porcelain collection at Thekkanattu Parayil, Olavipe for the post Art: Blue porcelain from Russia I had come across some Dutchware. That was how I ended up writing this.

In the early 17^th century, Delft was noted for several things. It was the home port of the Dutch East India Company. The area had several breweries but the business was on the decline. The place attracted a number of famous painters. Among them was the local maestro, Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675). The Delft School, as they came to be known, concentrated mainly on local subjects.

A painting of Delft scene by Johannes Vermeer (from Wikipedia) is reproduced below:

The floundering brewing industry was almost wiped out by what is known as Delft Thunderclap. A gunpowder store in Delft exploded, killing many people and causing extensive damage to the town.

That was on October 12, 1654.

Most of the breweries which survived the calamity closed down. Their buildings were taken over by potters. Pottery patterned on Majolica was already being made in Antwerp and other places, probably by migrants from Italy. After the explosion, the industry focus shifted to Delft.

Then a trend of copying the designs on Chinese blue pottery started. They were popular but slowly gave way to designs with local scenes and religious motifs. The products included tiles, jars, plates, clogs, pictorial plates and so on. Three photos (copyright reserved) taken by me from among the pieces we have are reproduced below:

The popularity and iconic status of Delftware can be gauged by the fact that the tailfins of seventeen British Airways planes were painted with design based on Delftware. See the following photo from Wikipedia:

The golden era of Delft as a center for pottery was from mid 17^th century till the 1850s.

(Click on photos to enlarge.)

Kerala Archutecture: Heritage homes

Another photo of
A Kerala Tharavad.

This picture of the Velliara Parayil 'ettukettu' was taken
by Ebbey Tharakan during the years the house was unoccupied.
Copyright reserved.
Click to enlarge.

India’s gold stockpile, Kerala’s gold rush

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It is well-known that private gold holdings in India are colossal. Government stock is (according to September 2008 figures) 357.7 tonnes or 3.1% of the country’s forex reserves (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Official_gold_reserves). This is comparatively very low. The value keeps changing depending on the fluctuations of the Indian Rupee-US Dollar parity.

But privately held gold in India is estimated at 50,000 tonnes! (Business Line http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2009/01/16/stories/2009011650260800.htm). The country could be gold bankers to the world!

The Business Line report reminds us that S. Venkataramanan, the then Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had mooted the idea of a Gold Bank way back in 1992 and the then Finance Minister Manmohan Singh had included the proposal in that year’s Central Budget. But a senior official of the RBI shot down the scheme. If implemented, it could have harnessed at least a part of this silent wealth for more meaningful use.

Annually, 700 tonnes of the yellow metal is sold in the country, according to P. Kishore in his column ‘Business Boom’ in today’s Malayala Manorama.

Who buys it?

Kishore says 17% of the gold is gobbled up by the tiny State of Kerala which accounts for about 3% of India’s population. That works out to 119 tonnes of gold. A sovereign coin is 8 gms. The arithmetic is simple. The people of Kerala buy about 15 million sovereigns a year or about half a sovereign per head.

A sovereign costs about Rs.11000 these days!

Good investment? I suppose so. But how many can afford?

Also see  

Old Kerala Jewellery

Kerala: Left with empty granaries

Tropical Medicinal Plants: Thumpa, a vanishing beauty

Thumpa (Leucas aspera, Dronapushpi, Gumma Bhaji, Karukansoli, pansi-pansi, paysi-paysi, sipsipan, sula-sulasihan) is part of my childhood memories in Kerala, India. The plant can grow up to a height of two feet depending on the species. The bell-like flowers are normally white. In fact, in Malayalam, the native tongue of Kerala, thumpa flower is a synonym for pure white.

Thumpa used to grow wild all over the place. Even children knew it had medicinal value. The most common usage was in case of any skin problems. If you touch a poisonous weed or plant and there are itching and/or skin eruptions, take a few thumpa leaves, crush them in your hand and apply to the affected part. The relief is almost immediate.

The medicinal properties of Leucas aspera are accepted in all the areas where the 100 species of the plant grows (Indian Subcontinent, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, China, Pacific Islands, South America, and Africa). The main uses of the plant are in treating psoriasis and other skin conditions, painful swellings, snake bites, insect stings, and coughs and colds. It is said that a decoction made from the plant hastens menstruation.

In some countries, Leucas aspera is used as a fragrant herb in cooking. It is also a natural insecticide. In Kerala, the plant is burnt to ward off mosquitoes.

What used to grow wild in our area and many parts of Kerala started disappearing about four decades back. We found that the use of chemical manure and pesticides was the cause. About twenty five years back we shifted back to organic farming. The thumpa plants returned to the scene as you can see in the photographs I took in Olavipe.

Click on photos to enlarge. Copyright reserved.

Leucas aspera can also be cultivated commercially. Seeds can be ordered online. Dry, sandy soil and full sunlight are required. The suggested planting distance is 12 to 15 inches apart. You could also have a few clusters of Leucas aspera in your garden, either on the ground or in pots.

These are great plants to have in the vicinity residential houses.

Also see: Amorphophallus, a medicinal plant with unique flower

Heritage: Kerala High Court saves historic churches

Whichever religion one might belong to, nobody would deny that the many centuries old Twin Churches of Ramapuram, Kerala, are beautiful. And there is so much of history behind them.

The Church wanted to demolish them and build a new church. There were widespread protests including from this blog (Churches on demolition line.). Finally the Kerala Government declared them to be heritage structures and brought them under the control of Archaeology Department, thereby preventing demolition.

The Church appealed against this order to the Kerala High Court. Earlier this week the HC ruled in favour of the Government and all those believe that heritage monuments should be preserved. It is not known whether the Church will go for further appeals.

It is difficult to understand the Church policy of demolishing old structures. I don’t recall hearing about an ancient temple or mosque being razed to ground to build a new one. The money spent on new churches to replace old ones could be utilized more meaningfully.

Nearer my home, the 1791Thycattussarry Church (A historic church is no more.) has been renovated. See photos below:

Old structure.

After renovation.

A saving grace here is that the architect has managed to retain some of the ethos. But lost in the process are the ‘Mondalam’ (picture below),

and more sadly, the beautiful frescoes that adorned the inside of the old building.

The next structure in line for the Church bulldozers is the Parayil Family’s 1861private oratory at Velliara (picture below).

Naturally, we have objected.

Kerala Architecture: Another Parayil heritage home

Ayanat Parayil ‘ettukettu’ at Thycattussarry, about 3kms from Olavipe, is one of the oldest and largest among the Parayil heritage homes. Because of the length of the building, inner compound walls and the trees around, no photographer has been able to capture it in one picture.

The portion known as ‘Meda’ is believed to have been in existence for over 250 years. Though Velliara was the ‘Tharavad’ (see A Kerala Tharavad.), Ayanat was also occupied at least by the middle of the 18th century. (See A unique prayer.) The ancestor who built the St. Antony’s Church at Thycattussarry, which was consecrated in 1791, stayed at Ayanat to supervise the construction.

The ground floor of the ‘Meda’ is granary. The first floor has a drawing room and bedrooms. This portion which is connected to the main house by a curved corridor is due for periodic repairs. The house is well maintained. It costs a fortune of course.

My cousin Paul (PH Paul Tharakan) and his wife stay there – just the two of them!

The photographs below (copyright reserved) were taken by my nephew Ebbey Tharakan. He is a remarkable chap. I must write about him someday.

Eastern entrance

Another view from the east

View from the west.
Given below are photos of the 'Meda'.
Click on images to enlarge.

Also see: Kerala architecture: Mansion of the Marquises