Explorations into the Food of India

One thing that always stands out about some of the busy cities of India is the smell of garlic everywhere. I woke up this morning and went for my first city walk, and there it was again....and again... and again... for a solid kilometre. Sounds like an over-exaggeration, but really, it's not.

 The roads in most of the areas of Calcutta are lined with hawkers, who are vendors who have set up huts and stalls adjacent to legitimate shops. Shops pay rent, hawkers don't. Many of these vendors are street food makers, usually specializing in 1 or 2 dishes that people flock to them for. Garlic, Onions and 6 or so spices tend to dominate the ingredient make-up of many of these dishes...like dosas, curries, uttapams (indian breakfast pancakes). So what's the end result? A city that comes alive by the smell of food in the air, and mouths hungry to consume it. Business, education and a hard days work usually begins with a good meal -- and if home-cooking doesn't satisfy then the streets meet all the cravings.

After a stroll on the streets, my dad and I ate with my uncle who own 14 Dosa/Pizza chains in Calcutta under the name "Garden Cafe". No seats, just chest level tables and delicious food. Incidentally, he was the first to introduce pizza to Calcutta -- even cooler is that my Dad showed him the recipe and how to make them 25 years ago. So I learned today that my pops may have been partly responsible for the uprise in pizza culture in this huge city...Cool!

My uncle informed me that 40% of India eats organic naturally, due to being in rural region where pesticides are expensive and GMO seeds aren't readily available. But one of the problems is the encroachment of big companies like Monsanto coming to India under different names, and employing the same tactics they do to destroy farmers lives in North America (i.e. by assuming some of the expense at first, creating debts cycles and exercising laws that prevent seed-saving). Thankfully there is a movement to help stop this, lead by the one and only Dr. Vanadan Shiva. I highly recommend you check her activism out....she's the real deal.



I hope to make understanding the food system in India part of this journey...as feeding 1 Billion people daily seems to have a lot of success around here... despite the myths. India is abundant, fertile and food is plenty. And... so is the garlic.

Bye bye Canada, hello India!

I smelt that warm and familiar air as soon as the airplane hit the tarmac.  Though experiencing two cycles of day and night while flying here, my anticipation for India prevented any sound sleep on the airplane.  Wiping my eyes and letting out a few yawns, I was definitely washed over with tiredness when we touched down. But with that first hazy look out the window, and that first whiff of India, I felt alive and vital. Moreover, I felt grounded and safe.

            Calcutta airport can be a bit overwhelming at first, with hoards of taxi drivers and beggars running to greet you at first sight, honks that seem as frequent birds singing in the spring, and a traffic situation that no amount of planning or policing can control.  Despite this, the charm of India also quickly sets in.: The warm sun, the colors of the clothing, the vintage taxis, the unique architecture and the trees which canopy the people on the streets. My grampa’s sister (or my dad’s ‘Chachi’) hired a driver to pick us up. He wore a white suit, a spiffy driver’s hat, and had a moustache that would make my Movember-ite friends go green with envy. We got in the car and my eyes were filled with the colors and smell of hOMe.

            Calcutta (or Kolkata) was derived from  the combination of three villages: Kalikata, Sutarnuti and Govidopur. Before the British arrived in India, these were three independent villages. When the British arrived in 1690 they combined these into one city: Calcutta. Located in West Bengal, Calcutta was the capital of India during British rule. Being a port, it served as the most prominent Eastern port for import and export of everything from spices, to teas, to jewels. Long before Bombay was developed as a port, and before New Delhi was deemed the capital, Calcutta was the hub was for the British. Fragments of British can still be found here: Christian schools with English uniforms, architecture reminiscent of Victorian times, and some of the greatest violin (and other instrument makers) are still a strong cornerstone of Calcutta society. Now Kolkata (due to India asserting it’s Independence through minor phonological changes in city names), it’s a city that fills me with intrigue and wonder.  

            I’m here namely for my cousins wedding, which is to take place in a week. I hear the weddings are epic! After which I will be doing some rugged backpacking and train travels with my best friend. I look forward to sharing this journey with you…

Airport Wanderings....

     
             My dad and myself at the airport in Dubai, travelling for the first time together!

So what does it mean, this 2nd trip to India?.... Well, it is for sure going to be distinct from time number 1.  The time number 1's can be for the exploration, but the time number 2's are for the deepening. Time number one was with my mom, and time number two is with Dad.I felt the first time I went to India I questioned what was it that "made me Indian". Sounds funny heh? I know. Silly but a worthy one to pursue. And for whatever magical forces that makes wishes come true, it was a trip successful in bringing some connection to the family values and traits that make up my heritage. Being a Vancouver-born and Toronto-raised Canadian, I sort of lose sight of how to navigate the two cultures (or 3 if you consider the aforementioned Canadian cities to be in a cultural conflict...lol). And so with some family+backpacking+25 cities in India already explored in my last visit, it feels only a ripe time to go deeper into some differing but very resonant themes with me: sacred sites vs bollywood. city vs. rural life. materialism vs. spirituality. The juxtaposition. The beauty. The conflict.

My dad had a 10-year career as an actor in Bollywood and as a singer, during the romantic 70's...and going a little deeper and finding out more about his career at that time is a HUGE interest of mine. Not only cuz he's my pops, but because the 70's had so much class and disco influence -- and modern Bollywood has simply lost touch with the innocence that era had.

I've chosen to do this with my photo lens, video camera and watercolours. I think you will see lots of this in the coming days/weeks so that's it for now. Good night, 5 sleeps to Calcutta!