The Secret Sauce of Civilisation
Even here in Kozhikode, where I now live and teach, I have learned to make peace with food cooked in coconut oil—strictly a haircare solution back home in Bengal. I have tasted puttu, avial, and other dishes that speak of lands I did not inherit, but now inhabit.
Civilisation, we are told, advances through conquest, through trade, through empire. But real progress happens through our digestive tract. The British came, saw, and took our spices—along with a lifetime of indigestion. They turned curry into something creamy, confused, and available at Heathrow for £14.99. India digests everything. Empires, religions, railway delays. What remains is a chutney of contradictions—a flavourful, suspiciously sweet and sour melting pot.
In the end, food isn't about hunger. It's about memory. Identity. The soft ache of once belonging, the louder growl of still trying. Food is how we remember who we are and who we once were.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India.com
7 hours ago
- India.com
Tricolour hoisted only at Red Fort and not on other Mughal-era buildings because…, what is the Nehru connection?
Tricolour hoisted only at Red Fort and not on other Mughal-era buildings because…, what is the Nehru connection? Independence Day Facts: 15th August is about to come, and people are ready to celebrate the day with full zeal and patriotic fervour. Independence Day is not just a day but its an emotion for every Indians. It is the result of numerous sacrifices. When the Prime Minister of the country hoists the flag at the Red Fort, every Indian, whether he is living in abroad, get emotional, remembering the sacrifices people made for the independence of the country from the British rule. But do you know why the tricolor hoisted only at the Red Fort and not at any other Mughal buildings like Taj Mahal or Fatehpur Sikri? Let us know the reason behind this.
Indian Express
7 hours ago
- Indian Express
Pune's Mirza Ghalib Road: A forgotten ode to the great Urdu poet
Stepping out from the Mandai metro station, one is greeted with the full flavour of the markets of old Pune: vegetable sellers, food joints, and shops selling everything from crockery to fake flowers sprawling from the chowk outside the station. However, to an observant eye, an unremarkable signboard informs that the street straight across is named after one of India's most remarkable poets—Mirza Ghalib. Born in Agra in 1797, Ghalib moved to Delhi at a young age and lived there till his death in 1869. A poet at the royal court of the last Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar, Ghalib lived a testing life during tumultuous times. He witnessed the 1857 War of Independence firsthand and wrote heartbreaking accounts of his city's destruction. A humble memorial museum has been constructed at his haveli in Ballimaran at Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi. But not many refer to the road by its official name. Prakash Gandhi's grocery shop, just a few steps away from the signboard, was established over 60 years ago. However, he was not aware that the street is named after Ghalib. 'People call this Shukrawar Peth, Nehru Chowk. And now that the metro has come we say opposite the metro station. This is a problem everywhere, even where I stay people don't know the name of the street. Subhash Jagtap, the owner of an 88 year-old pan shop at said, 'The older people know that this is called Mirza Ghalib street. The name has been there since forever. But no one refers to it that way anymore. Everyone names the chowks.' When asked if he knew who Ghalib was, Jagtap said he was a 'shayar of the Muslims'. During his time, Ghalib challenged orthodoxy through shers like like Hum ko maloom hai jannat ki haqeeqat lekin, Dil ke khush rakhne ko 'Ghalib' ye khayal acha hai (I am well aware about the reality of heaven but, for the heart's comfort the thought is surely good). According to an account, a British Colonel named Brown, after looking at Ghalib's Turkish-style turban, asked him if he was Muslim. Ghalib replied by saying, 'Half', and when Brown asked what that meant, Ghalib explained, 'I drink wine but I don't eat pork.' Countless ghazals by Ghalib, like Hazaron Khwahishein Aisi, have been sung by Jagjit Singh and popularised among the masses in India. Recently, the Hindi movie Metro In Dino adapted Ghalib's ghazal Aah Ko Chahiye Ek Umr Asar Hote Tak into a soundtrack sung by Papon. The Mirza Ghalib Chowk is present a few hundred meters down the street. Neither the local shopowners nor people at the nearby Masjid knew about members of the 'Mirza Ghalib Chowk Samaj Seva Committee' mentioned on the board, or had any contacts for them. 'The nameplate saying Mirza Ghalib Chowk has been here since before I was born. People know the name of this chowk. But I don't really know who he is. I'll have to call two-three previous generations of my family for anyone to know that,' says Suraj, owner of the chowk's corner shop Shree Rajhans, with a laugh. Public memory of Mirza Ghalib at the street named after him in Pune is symbolic of the state of so many of India's great poets and musicians: everpresent, but not always remembered. Soham is a Correspondent with the Indian Express in Pune. A journalism graduate, he was a fact-checker before joining the Express. Soham currently covers education and is also interested in civic issues, health, human rights, and politics. ... Read More
Time of India
19 hours ago
- Time of India
80-yr strong: Maitri, a house built on friendship
1 2 In a world where screens have replaced face-to-face meetings and quick messages substitute for warm embraces, two families in Surat prove that true friendship can survive anything, even death. Walk into 'Maitri', a bungalow in Bhatar, and you will see something special: a friendship so deep that it has passed from fathers to sons, and now to grandchildren and great-grandchildren, like a precious family treasure. It all began in 1940 when two young boys named Bipin Desai and Gunwant Desai met at Sarvajanik School. They lived close by in Sagarampura, walked to school together, shared lunch and talked about their dreams. They had no idea their childhood friendship would shape not just their own lives, but also their children's and grandchildren's. When Mahatma Gandhi called for the Quit India Movement in 1942, these young boys, who had just finished their matriculation, jumped into the freedom movement. Together, they handed out pamphlets against the British, organised protests, and even went to jail together. After India got independence, both went to the agricultural university in Pune. When they graduated, they came back to Surat. From farming to running a dairy, from contract work to various businesses, they tried everything together, always as partners. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Friendship Day wishes , messages and quotes !
