Eating India

April 30, 2007
Skillfully moving backward and forward in time, Banerji, a culinary historian based in the U.S. whose previous books have explored the cookery of her native Bengal (Life and Food in Bengal), regards India with the intimacy of a native, the curiosity of an outsider and the broad vantage of an expatriate. In the course of her culinary tours across the subcontinent, she poses compelling questions about the nature of authenticity in a time of great flux, the mutability of tradition and the place of food in secular life and religious culture. For answers, she looks not only to the past but to the present as it unfolds in roadside shacks, sweet shops or a temple canteen, describing how outside influences such as colonialism and immigration have shaped India's regional cuisines. Early in this engaging work, Banerji recounts how whenever she invites Americans to her home for an elaborate meal, rather than sampling each dish in sequence—the better to appreciate its subtle flavors—her guests heap together meat, rice and vegetables on one plate. The decision to allow appetite and intellectual curiosity to determine her course could easily have resulted in a similar mishmash. It is to the author's credit that her journeys to Benares, Gujarat and points south retain their unique flavors.

September 1, 2007
Award-winning food writer Banerji examines in marvelous detail the cultural and historical influences that have shaped regional cuisine in ancient and modern India. As she travels through India, Banerji, a Calcutta native who makes her home in the United States, poses compelling questions about the nature of authenticity in Indian cuisine for a land in constant flux from generations of colonialism and immigration and other external factors. Moving backward and forward in time, without a specific itinerary, Banerji takes readers on an exciting journey visiting cities, roadside shacks, a family's wedding, and other places, while seeking to understand and come to terms with an ever-changing nation. Learning about the contributions made by Persians, Jews, Mongols, Portuguese, and other immigrants to the national cuisine is fascinating. Readers will savor the author's mouthwatering prose as she recollects childhood memories of Bengali traditions and rituals centered on food. After reading this engaging work, one will appreciate the complexities and subtleties of Indian cuisine. Recommended for public and academic libraries.Christine Holmes, San Jose State Univ. Lib., CA

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