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Books

Food-caste DALIT KITCHENS OF MARATHWADA Dalit Kitchens is that the
A remarkable feature of
connection Shahu Patole, translated humour of rural folklore
from the Marathi by Bhushan
and dialect is integrated
Korgaonkar into the texture of sto-
HE RECENT Eng- HARPER COLLINS rytelling. It is about fast
lish translation by Rs.599 Pages 354 vanishing rural traditions
TBhushan Korga- and language associated
onkar of Marathi language with agricultural seasons,
writer Shahu Patole’s celebration of beasts of
seminal text, Anna He burden that are part of
Apoorna Brahma (2015) communities. The perti- This book endorses farming lives, of short
takes us into the food nent question he raises verity of the maxim periods of respite for Dalit
culture of the Mangs and is of the fundamental that 'food is the communities when land-
Mahars of the Marath- right to choose what one utlimate reality'. lords offered them pro-
wada region of Maharash- eats. “Who has the right But its importance duce grown on farms they
tra. It endorses verity of to decide on the cooking is that it reveals the worked. It is also about the
the maxim that ‘food is the and eating choices, and connection between heterogeneity of Dalit cul-
ultimate reality’. But its the food culture of one’s cuisine and the ture and cuisine, the finer
importance lies in the con- kitchen, other than the hierarchial caste nuances of practices and
nection it reveals between concerned individuals or system lore in Tamil Nadu, Karna-
cuisine and India’s hierar- families themselves?” he taka and Marathwada, of
chial caste system. asks. shared community lives.
Patole says this is “the Patole writes from eating in Dalit households As an insider, Pa-
story of the food my par- experience of India’s food depending on affordability tole writes of urban and
ents ate and their parents culture politics — not just and availability of ingre- modernised appropriation
ate — an acquired taste, dietary habits but the dients. Braving casteist of kanduri and dhawara
especially one acquired growing of food crops, aspersions, Patole shares mutton preparations with
through centuries of processing and distribu- actual recipes detailing eateries oblivious that
discrimination”. This tion of grain according to specific animal parts used these are not mere recipes
rendition needed courage the rigid varna system. to prepare meals for wed- but intrinsic to religious
to write, to overcome the Since sattvic or higher dings and funerals, prena- traditions. The author
shame and guilt ingrained caste elitism is prioritised tal and postnatal diets of raises questions about
by upper caste rigid- in food habits and widely young women, sacrifices, ignorant consumerism
ity about vegetarianism, propagated through food sacred feasts, farming and that is deleting the special
which is further divided narratives, blogs, recipes, festivities. He provides de- significance of culinary
into sattvic, rajasic and gross misconceptions tails of utensils used, fuel flavours like ‘kaaran
tamasic — indicative of about the dietary habits of gathered, chullas ignited, meat curry’. He devotes
the social position of In- marginalised Dalit com- animals butchered sacri- an entire chapter to the
dia’s dominant castes. munities have persisted. ficially and dismembered ritual superstition of how
However, Patole makes Do Dalits eat only various part by part, in tandem and why a male buffalo
it clear that the intent kinds of forbidden meat? with orthodox rituals and is sacrificed in honour of
behind writing this book Was Dalit survival based conventional practices. Mari-aai, Lakshmi-aai
is not to oppose vegetari- on joothan, scraps of food This book is about the or Mhasoba in the month
anism or promote non- thrown to them by savar- culture of marginalised of Ashadh and a kaaran
vegetarianism but to show nas? Most importantly, lower castes and classes organised to protect the
how beliefs, recreation did this marginalised com- that trace their roots to village from pandemics.
and social conduct impact munity cook at all? sacred Hindu texts and re- Untasted but ethnic
food habits in a regressive Traditional religious ligious and epic narratives recipes of not just sacrifi-
way. It is partly a memoir and social literature is — Manu, the Puranas, cial meat but of a variety
textured by social history silent about Dalit food and Mahabharata because of seasonal vegetables are
that attempts to docu- dietary habits. There- these details have been also shared by the author.
ment social and religious fore, this book explores, censored from popular Preparatory skinning and
hierarchy through dietary researches and documents food discourse and media salting of animals is as me-
habits of two outcaste everyday cooking and shows. ticulously described as is

80 EDUCATIONWORLD JANUARY 2025