When food becomes political

One more day for the Kerala elections and the candidates were extremely working hard in the final leg of their campaigning. Many of them were so busy that they even forgot to have their regular meals. The voters too drank gallons of water to save them from the scorching heat. We are living in a society where food and food habits have become extremely political. People are socially, politically and religiously discriminated because of their choices of food.

Black tea revolution

One would immediately think about the communist party when they hear ‘kattan chaaya’ and ‘parippu vada’. However, the party leaders vow that this evergreen combination has got nothing to do with the ideals of the communist party. It was after the release of the super hit movie Sandesham, a political satire, directed by Sathyan Anthikad and written by Sreenivasan that the black tea began to be associated with the party. The communist party found a foothold in Kerala through the labourers who would work hard throughout the day. The party meetings and study classes for them were held usually in the nights. Black tea or chukku kappi (coffee flavoured with dried ginger) would be served to keep them refreshed after a day of hard toil. In Southern Kerala, coffee is the preferred beverage while it is the good old kattan chaaya in the Malabar regions. Instead of the dal vada, boiled tapioca and bird eye chilli chutney too were served at these meetings. However, food was served only occasionally.

Biryani tales

The inseparable relationship between the League House, the head quarters of the Muslim League in Kozhikode and delicious biryani is quite well known. It is said that biryani is a must for lunch at all the party meetings. It was true to a certain extent in the olden days. The incredible taste of the Malabari biryani goes back to the times when Malabar had exclusive trade relations with the Arabs. However, in the recent times, the popularity of biryani among the leaders of the league has diminished. The officials in the League House say that the leaders now prefer the regular Kerala meals over the biryani, which is loaded with fat. Countless vegetarian hotels are being opened in the Malabar area and food trends too are changing. It is a fact that many political leaders and their followers are choosing healthier eating habits, which is primarily vegetarian cuisine. The green coloured ladoo and green payasam (dessert) are still the favourite among the league workers to celebrate an election win.

Battered porotta

Hot and flaky porotta with delicious beef curry is considered as the favourite food of the Kerala Congress workers. However, the leaders of the party emphatically state that it is just a misconception. It was among the hard working farmers and workers in the high range that the Kerala Congress had found its footing. Delicious tapioca is still their favourite food. On Sundays, they love to feast on soft appam and duck stew from which wafts the delicious aroma of the spices.

It was only towards the end of the 1980s that porotta made an entry to this food scene. Porotta wouldn’t turn stale that easily and it is extremely filling as well. So if you have had a porotta or two, you wouldn’t feel hungry for hours. It is again the movies which projected porotta as the favourite food of the Kerala Congress and an unavoidable dish in their party meetings.

The politics of nothing

Do the congress and the BJP have any signature dishes? The answer would be no. Lots of experiments were done by the Congress, led by Gandhiji, in the food habits. Gandhiji had even taught to give up food as a mode of protest.

BJP’s leader Narendra Modi’s ‘Chai pe charcha’ had become quite popular. He was a tea vendor who rose to the top most position of India. However, the BJP is often discussed for its stance on what not to eat than what to eat.