Recipe Writing

Cuisine vs. Dish

A cuisine is a characteristic style of cooking characterized by distinctive ingredients, techniques and dishes, and usually associated with a specific culture or geographic region.

A dish is a specific food preparation, a "distinct article or variety of food, ready to eat, or be served.

Course vs. Meal

A course is a specific set of food items that are served together during a meal

A meal is an eating occasion that takes place at a certain time and includes prepared food. The names used for specific meals in English vary greatly, depending on the speaker's culture, the time of day, or the size of the meal.

Recipe vs. Cookbook

A recipe is a set of steps that lead to raw food to cooked food i.e. ingredients to dish. 

A recipe is a set of ingredients and instructions need to make a food item. 

Instructions for preparing a dish are called recipes.

A cookbook is a reference containing recipes.

Cookbooks may be general, or may specialize in a particular cuisine or category of food.

Recipes in cookbooks are organized in various ways: 

by course (appetizer, first course, main course, dessert), 

by main ingredient, 

by cooking technique, alphabetically, 

by region or country, and so on. 

Recipe writing

Name of the dish 

- a brief introductory note include 

- kind of food it is  - staple, festive, ritual, etc. 

Photo

Equipments - tools, utensils

Ingredients and their measure

• Ingredients - The starting point of all recipes is a table of ingredients.
• List your ingredients in the order they appear in the method.
• Be precise, especially in measurements, timings, oven temperatures and tin or dish sizes

Preparation Method - step by step description

• Start with the prep work
• Indicate advance preparation if something needs to be done ahead of time. 
• Clearly describe how the ingredients should be prepared
• Write clear, easy-to-read descriptions of the process
• Provide hints to help the cook stay on track
• Make section, if required to cook separately - crust and filling
• Offer substitutions for unusual ingredients or else people might just omit them completely. 
• Explain unusual ingredients in the headnote, if possible.
• indicate the heat level needed
• Include simple techniques like chopping, mincing, and melting as part of the ingredient list. 
• List the ingredient measurement first, followed by the technique. 

1 cup butter, melted

2 tablespoons shallots, minced

Servings/Yield 

• number of people; serving size; warm/cold

Cooking/prep time

Additional note

• Etymological, Historical and cultural notes
• Food pairing, is a method for identifying which foods go well together from a flavor standpoint
• Nutritional Value: Helps for dietary restrictions. Includes number of calories or grams per serving.
• Eating etiquette
• Aesthetic notes 

Aroma (smell) and taste (tongue, texture) = flavour

Sight - aesthetics - food presentation 

Ear have nothing - spluttering, cracking, etc. -  Hence, food to be praised! 

World Indigenous Language Day 2019

World Indigenous Language Day

Dept of Anthropology

Sikkim University

Indigenous endangered languages of Sikkim

9 August is the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. This year 2019, the international day is dedicated to the International Year of Indigenous Languages 2019. On this special day dedicated to indigenous peoples, there are several activities dedicated to the human rights, languages, ancient histories, and rich cultures, several activities of the indigenous people. 

This programme is a part of the said celebration and activities. There are other activities to come too. 

What is indigenous and Who is indigenous?

The term “indigenous” is defined in various ways over the years - often it connotes to tribes, first peoples/nations, aboriginals, ethnic groups, adivasi, janajati. Or even to the occupational and geographical terms like hunter-gatherers, nomads, peasants, hill people. In many cases, the term “indigenous” has negative connotations leading to discrimination and sufferings. 

Rather than to define “indigenous people” the United Nations  identify them based on the fundamental criterion of self-identification. 

• Self- identification as indigenous peoples at the individual level and accepted by the community as their member. 
• Historical continuity with pre-colonial and/or pre-settler societies 
• Strong link to territories and surrounding natural resources 
• Distinct social, economic or political systems 
• Distinct language, culture and beliefs 
• Form non-dominant groups of society 
• Resolve to maintain and reproduce their ancestral environments and systems as distinctive peoples and
  communities.
  

There are more than 370 million indigenous people spread across 70 countries. 22% of the world’s population. 

They practice unique traditions, and ways of relating to people and the environment. 

Indigenous peoples are the holders of unique knowledge systems and beliefs. 

They possess invaluable knowledge of practices for the sustainable management of natural resources. 

Indigenous peoples represent the greater part of the world’s cultural diversity.
They retain social, cultural, economic and political characteristics that are distinct from those of the dominant societies in which they live. 

They are the descendants of the first settlers. Conversely, the new arrivals later became dominant through conquest, occupation, settlement or other means. 

They speak the major share of the world’s almost 7000 languages. 

Since they are marginalised in various forms, their language and culture are endangered in various degrees. 

Hence, indigenous peoples’ language are also endangered languages, and endangered languages are, mostly, the language of the indigenous peoples. 

Since, human language is intimately connected with individual, society, culture and environment, it thrives on domains of its use. Hence, we need policies to safeguard them. 

For a linguist, each language reflects an example of human linguistic ability. This linguistic ability has nothing to do with nationalities, caste, class, etc. Every language tell us what it means to be human. 

To regard “human” is to enable the people to participate in governance, education, cultural continuity, and other facets that are crucial for human survival. In other words, indigenous languages are crucial for education to employment as well as for environment to economy. 

This is also to say — endangered language and indigenous peoples’ — two sides of the same coin.  

Language endangerement is a global crisis- world’s linguistic diversity is depleting fast. 

India has a major share in it. 

For us, from this region - Darjeeling, Doars and Sikkim - there are more than 35 languages that are endangered. Other than Nepali, Hindi and Bangla, all other languages of this region is endangered. 

My colleague Meiraba will speak more on this topic later on today. 

However, I will highlight few initiatives that Sikkim University has committed towards achieving its objectives. 

1. Proudly, Sikkim University has a CEL, and has mandate to work on the more than 34 endangered language son this region. Currently, the CEL is working on Magar, Gurung, Bhujel, Sherpa and Rokdung/Bantawa. 
2. Indigenous language departments are established - first in the world. 
3. Department of Political Science, Anthropology, Sociology, Peace and Conflict Studies, Education, History, etc. are engaged in research on indigenous communities of the region. 
4. Department of Nepali, since its inception is working on languages and folklores of the indigenous communities of the region. There are several MPhil dissertations - Kulung, Bhujel, Thulung, Magar, Tamang, and several MA dissertations. There are PhDs in progress on these languages by the members of the indigenous communities. 
5. University Departments are constantly in contact with the communities through various measures and methods. 
6. Importantly, we look forward to students and various departments to work on various languages and communities strengthening the objective to make these languages and communities sustainable. 
7. Task to do - to pursue linguistics department in the given reality. 

As per the Census of India 2011, Sikkim has population of 6,10,577 constituting 5.26% of the total population of India. 

Of its total population, 3,82,200 speaks Nepali (accounting 73.64 % including other scheduled languages) and 26.36% non-scheduled languages. 

Bhotia, Lepcha, Limbu, Rai, Sherpa and Tamang along with their “Other” mother tongues are classified as Non-Scheduled Languages  

while Gurung, Newari, Magar, Sunuwar, etc. are “Other” mother tongues (with 5333 persons) despite being Sikkim’s State Official Languages. 

Sikkim has 11 official languages, of which other than Nepali all 10 official languages are endangered. 

Other than Nepali, which is one of the scheduled languages and the official languages of Sikkim as well as lingua franca, all other State Official languages are endangered to various degrees blurring the distinction between the state official and non-official languages as well as between Non-Scheduled Languages and Other mother tongues. 

Census makes this division — on the speaker number as well as on the “availability of linguistic information” 

Hence guaranteeing the official status is not enough to safeguard one’s language and one’s heritage. 

Further, if one has to ascertain emerging domains of language use; paradoxically, Nepali too falls in the line with other languages of the state.

Language is a parasite. It depends upon the speaker, community, policy, etc. In other words, it depends upon the ecological on which it can sustain. 

If one observes in context of Sikkim, the following facts emerge:

1. There is an urgent need to document, promote and revitalize the indigenous languages considering language endangerment. 
2. Census of India recapitulates that most of the India’s languages are undescribed, yet to be identified and classified; and most of them are at the brink of extinction. 
3. Sikkim shows that recognition as official language is not adequate for its sustainability. 

We need to conceive this situation in a new way:

In a radically new way to look at the distribution of global linguistic diversity, to assess the threat of extinction, and to prioritize research, 

Anderson and Harrison (2006) coins “language hotspot” to represent areas where we find a concentration of: a high levels of endangerment, a high genetic diversity in terms of language family, and a low levels of documentation — writing systems, grammars, dictionaries, texts, and audio and video materials. 

Based on the biodiversity hotspots model, “language hotspot” model is basically designed to visualise, track the trend, and to prioritise resources. They have identified more than two dozen hotspots to date. 

Sikkim with its depleting diversities require major policy-to-practice strategies to strengthen the biocultural diversity. These three-tier approach may prove beneficial for Sikkim to maintain and promote its bicultural diversities: 

1. Language documentation is essential basis to formulate language policy.  Sikkim need to do language documentation of the indigenous languages of the state to formulate efficient language policy. 
2. Since what supports one language may not support another to sustain  (see Mühlhäusler 2002: 376), publication of grammars, dictionaries, writing systems and school syllabi is not a magic spell to drive away the language endangerment. 
3. Rather than efforts on individual languages, a coordinated effort towards vitalising linguistic ecology is prerequisites for a healthy biocultural diversity. Hence, it is social policy rather than language policy that is needed to maintain it (Nettle 1999). This leads to include language endangerment as a public service akin to public health, public transport, etc.

To make a point home, since Sikkim cannot afford ‘to miss forest for the trees;’ —  to make common people as well as linguists, language activists, politicians, policy makers, environmentalists, etc. towards Sikkim’s endangered indigenous languages. 

International Mother Language Day 2019

Greetings of the International Mother Language Day! 

Today, we are celebrating the International Mother Language Day at Sikkim University organised by the Centre for Endangered Languages. This day as — the International Mother Language Day — was first celebrated in the United Nations in 1999. A decade after, from 2009 onwards, it is celebrated by all the member states of the United Nations across the world. 

As the coordinator has already spoken about its history and importance in his introductory note, let me point few observations regarding this celebration. 

The International Mother Language Day is celebrated to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism. This year being the International year of Indigenous Languages, the theme of this year’s International Mother Language Day is —  indigenous languages as a factor in development, peace and reconciliation. 

In this world, there are around 370 million indigenous peoples speaking more than 7,000 languages. These 370 million people are marginalised, discriminated and are in poverty. In order to make this world habitable for others too, on this International Mother Language Day, all UN member states recognize and enforce the rights of indigenous peoples, at the global level. 

At the local level, Sikkim has not just scenic beauty but also beauty in terms of human diversity. As we know, Sikkim is a multiethnic state with strains of various communities within the political borders of the state and their cousins in the adjoining states and countries. Similarly, Sikkim is also known (but lesser than the other) about its linguistic diversity. There are several languages and their dialectal variations; there are eleven official languages; and many of these language are part of the education system in the state. In Sikkim University, Bhutia, Lepcha, and Lepcha is taught at the master’s level — proudly, were are the first in the world to start the higher academic programmes in the world. Similarly, in many other departments related to language language, culture and society, there are research on the communities and their languages (as the Coordinator has highlighted earlier).

Language has implications for identity, communication, social integration, education and development. Only a few hundred languages have genuinely been given a place in education systems and the public domain, and less than a hundred are used in the digital world. Since language is of strategic importance for people and planet, there are continuous efforts to make them sustainable. However, they are increasingly under threat, or disappearing altogether or extinct. This is a fact - that languages are endangered. More than 43% of the estimated 7000 languages spoken in the world are endangered. When such linguistic catastrophe falls - rich tapestry of cultural diversity, opportunities, traditions, memory, unique modes of thinking and expression — valuable resources for ensuring a better future — are also lost.  

Thus, this day is meant to create awareness regarding this very fact of language endangerment, and to initiate preserving and developing our tangible and intangible heritage. In actual practice — to promote the dissemination of mother tongues to encourage linguistic diversity and multilingual education and also to develop fuller awareness of linguistic and cultural traditions throughout the world and to inspire solidarity based on understanding, tolerance and dialogue. I strongly find that technology does have an important Roeper to play to improve the lives of the speakers as well as regarding the dissemination of mother tongues to encourage linguistic diversity and multilingual education. With this commitment to improve the lives of the endangered language communities and their languages, Digital India initiative has digitized content in the country's 22 scheduled languages and extended to India's other 234 recognized languages. In this initiative, our university will have a role to play in the coming days regarding languages of these regions. 

Centre for Endangered Languages is one of the such initiatives in Sikkim University. In pursuit of the local efforts to arrest language endangerment, the Govt of India established CEL in various universities to document, describe and safeguard the endangered languages. Proudly, Sikkim University has a CEL, and has a mandate to work on the more than 34 endangered languages of Sikkim and North Bengal. As I am informed, currently, the Centre is working on Magar, Gurung, Bhujel, Sherpa and Rai-Rokdung. But the Centre is not limited to these languages, in future other endangered languages of the region will be taken up. 

Apart from the vision, commitment and initiative, many departments of Sikkim University viz. sociology, anthropology, Nepali, etc. are working on various aspects of languages and communities. It is also the day and the year to celebrate such initiatives from various departments, faculty members, researchers, students and the supporting/host communities. I am hopeful that this tradition of enriching local communities and their linguistic, cultural heritages will continue — being true to the vision of Sikkim University. 

Once again as the head of this institute, I would like to reiterate that teaching and research on these languages and also inclusion of the communities in the very process will be one of the priorities to achieve the vision of this University. I look forward to a day, where this region is not just an organic state but also demographically and linguistically diverse and thriving. 

International Mother Language Day 2018

20 August is Nepali Bhasa Diwas. Nepali dept marks the occasion in a grand way - identifying with language, literature, culture, and above all with identity as Nepali; and Nepali as human. 

Today is International Mother Language Day. It was first celebrated in 1999 in the United Nations. From 2009 onwards, it is celebrated across the world. In the Bangla speaking world, today is specially known as Ekuse. 

We are situated in such a complex situation where there are constant, innumerous threats on “humanisation” in the form of class, caste, culture, religion, gender, and language. 

Similarly, there are strong resistance to replete such forces, and to assert our “humans” whether is Dalit movement, feminism in its various avatars, or language movement. 

In the context of language, 21 February is celebrated as International Mother Language Day. Why this day is important is know why this day came in being. 

66 years ago in Dhaka, Bangladesh, then it was a part of Pakistan and known as East Pakistan, it was a theocratic state in loose sense. The Govt. of Pakistan in its newly born nation proposed that Bangla should be written in Person-Arabic script rather than the Bangla script.  

Students, professor including the VC of Dhaka University stood in protest in honour of Bangla language and script. Later, protest spread outside the university. The Govt. East Pakistan arrested students, and five students were killed for their protest in front of the Legislative Assembly. 

This protest was the “voice of the marginalised” and in India’s context, all of us in more than a billion, we are “ minority” in one sense or other. 

In Indian Constitution acknowledges this very fact and provides provisions for the safeguard of our mother tongues:

Art 29 to conserve language

Art 30 running and maintaining educational institutes

Art 350 primary education in MT

Art 345 and 120 promotes multilingual governance - official language. 

In brief, Indian constitution provides space for multilinguality. It is recognises “humans” through its speakers. 

Human language is intimately connected with individual, society, culture and environment, and thrives on domains of its use. Hence, language plays an important role in understanding human. This is idea propagated long ago by Noam Chomsky. 

For a linguist, each language reflects an example of human linguistic ability. This linguistic ability has nothing to do with nationalities, caste, class, etc. Every language tell us what it means to be human. 

There is a global crisis- world’s linguistic diversity is depleting fast. India has a major share in it. For us, from this region - Darjeeling, Doars and Sikkim - there are more than 35 languages that are endangered. Other than Nepali, Hindi and Bangla, all other languages of this region is endangered. 

Under the direction of UN, the Govt of Indian established CEL in various universities to document, describe and safeguard these endangered languages. Proudly, Sikkim University has a CEL, and has mandate to work on the more than 34 endangered language son this region. Currently, the CEL is working on Magar, Gurung, Bhujel, Sherpa and Rokdung/Bantawa. 

Apart from that many department of Sikkim university are working on various aspects of languages and communities - sociology, anthropology, etc. Even Nepali department works on various languages and communities. So far, we began with Kulung, Bhujel, Thulung, Magar, Tamang among others. 

We look forward to students and various departments to work on various languages and communities strengthening the objective to make these languages and communities sustainable, and to accept them as human rather than sub-human species. 

Sikkim has 11 official languages, of which other than Nepali all 10 official languages are endangered. Hence guaranteeing the official status is not enough to safeguard one’s language and one’s heritage. In such condition, I think, there fold path to language sustenance is possible:

1. Every scholar needs to responsible for his/her communities language situation. The scholar should highlight the situation. 
2. As guaranteed in the Constitution, we need to be aware of the provisions and to strive that such provisions are implemented. 
3. We need to ascertain ecology of language to make any policy practices. Rather than “flock mentality” - what supports one language may not support another. Each language requires its own ecological system. 

Finally, we also need to accept that fact that we are in the multilingual world. Knowing many languages will not makes us ill. Knowing many languages in best way to make every language survive. 

There is no harm if a Newar learn Tamang, and a Tamang learns Bhujel. 

A narrow conception of identifying language specifically with a community has proven dangerous as it has led to the depleting linguistic diversity and repertoire. 

The Nepali society was not specific to any language. In a village of the Bantawas, every other members whether Bahun, Chettri, Kami Damai or Gurung, Newar, everybody speaks their own language in addition to Bantawa as lingua franca. Such thriving example can still be found in Soreng where even the tradesmen like tailors, barbers and cobblers, who’s are the speakers of Bihari languages do speak Tamang. 

I wish this scheme of multilinguality prevails, languages are not moribund but safe and sustainable, and all of us can live and survive as humans. 

Among the legends

Fieldwork, essentially as an ancillary academic discipline, not only connects the academic queries, with the ground situations and events, but also locates the researcher with the topic, people and their culture. Importantly, post-field report is a significant input on the discourse, and returns layers of meanings and significances on the discourse itself. 

     A field trip to the historic capital of the erstwhile Khatsawphra Native State in the present day Nongkhlaw, Mairang in the West Khasi Hill district, Meghalaya was just not an academic checklist to accomplish, but a carefully chartered pursuit in association with the clansperson of the said village — Bah Don, who is also our colleague, friend and our guide to historical, cultural, customary and culinary matters of importance. His narratives were the ‘third eye’ with which I could see the past in the present as an augmented reality. 
     After an hour of a pleasant drive from Shillong in the newly constructed highway, there was a break for breakfast. After having it with Monalisa, when I asked my bill for atta (meaning chapatti) and tea, I was shocked as well as surprised that it was too less for what I ate. Somewhere, I felt that it is unfair to pay so less for the labour and love ki kong have put behind the freshly prepared food. I told my dilemma to Bah Don and others — they said, “the Khasis are like this!” I boarded the bus thinking of the culture, political economy, location, and also of the many other bills that I had paid elsewhere. 

  As I was on my way to know more about another Khasi —Tirot Sing (1802-1835) — the one who led the first uprisings against the British in the north east India —now known as the “Khasi rebellion of 1829-1833” associated with the “Nongkhlaw massacre,” there were legends, historical notes and sites as well as  anecdotes attached to his revolutionary act that we were trying to relate in the fieldwork. After we reached the Nongkhlaw, the sardar (village headman) joined us, and directed us to the historical sites. Of the caves, Krem Siej Tyra is a hide out that Tirot Sing and his troops used. Like Tirot Sing and his troops many years ago, we all descended into the cave. Inside the hundred metre long cave, I found that the monolith still stands awaiting Tirot Sing. Many dared to sit in his stone-throne, and clicked the selfies and the photos. I took few photos of the solitary structure as my mark of respect to the legendary hero. Krem Pyrda, named after the first resident lady, is another hide out about a hundred and fifty meters long. After a quick visit to these hideouts, we found Pepbah, a cremation site for the Syiem and his family on the way to Maw Shong Bishar, a judgment seat of Tirot Sing. Now, the locality is developed into a tourist attraction, but I doubt whether such initiative is really worth or would have been approved by Tirot Sing himself.
     The next site was the Phan Nonglait Falls, on the banks of river Umsaw, associated with the legend of Tirot Sing and Phan Nonglait. Here again, Bah Don narrates (his version) of the legend associated with Phan Nonglait. The story goes like this — Phan Nonglait, a young beautiful Khasi damsel drew the attraction of the Britishers. As an act of revolution, she enticed the white men, and offered them drinks. Since the British soldiers were drowned both by her beauty and the drinks, and anticipated to have pleasure with her, she disarmed them, and threw their weapons in the rock hole in the river. Later, she signalled the Tirot Sing’s men, and the weapons were seized by the them, and the Britishers were killed. The legend acknowledges Phan Nonglait as the beauty who enticed the Britishers, but she is also acknowledged as the female freedom fighter among the Khasis in the historical records. Interestingly, the Britishers could not ‘think above the drawer string’ and fell into the honey trap. It was not different for me too. I too was enticed with the story. Following Bah Don’s narration, I not only imagined brave Phan Nonglait (who must be great great great grand mother) as a beautiful woman but also about her feminity and beyond. I began to muse Phan Nonglait as a nymph or even puri (of the Khasi folktales) of the river Umsaw, and the romance continued till someone called me to join for the lunch.  

Apart from the sites, the culinary treat that we had at the Phan Nonglait Falls was beyond imagination as a part of the fieldwork. Again Bah Don arranged the local Khasi cuisine Jadoh Khaw, local red rice prepared with blood and offal of the local chicken cooked in the traditional ways by the clansperson. It was accompanied by many side dishes notably Thieye’s 'Naga pork’ and Sana’s ‘Garo chicken.’ It was a culinary fieldwork too fortified with Bah Don’s commentaries. The food not only told many stories about the Khasis’ foodways, but also of love, sharing, and the unique culinary culture that the food signifies. In other words, the lunch that we had on the banks of the river Umsaw was not just a meal, it was a link to the community and vice-versa. Still the taste lingers on my mouth, so the praise. 
  Our next destination was Lum Kyllang, three giant granite rocks - a man, his wife and his child — a pareidolic like me can associate it even at the 5400 feet. It is also associated with a Khasi folktale that Bah Don narrated to us. Kyllang is believed to be the deity of storms and hurricane -- an unconquerable spirit. After paying the fee to the local headman, we reached the summit to be astonished with the heavenly view of the earth below. To be at top of the Lum Kyllang was not just a feat to achieve the uphill climb, but also a way to connect with the characters and their feats in the folktale. In a way, it connects you with the tale, and stirs our imagination seeking truth and rationale of the event that is now a folktale. After a moment of euphoria, as we descend the Lum Kyllang, we were also descending from the world of the folktale to our everyday world. 

On our way back to Shillong, we all had tea followed by a photo session — signifying a cherished time spent together and also creating a memory to cherish later, respectively. But what I relish the most is the moment that I spent in close connection with the people and their culture. A fieldwork that connects with Tirot Sing, Phan Nangloit or even Jadhoh Khaw or with the Lum Kyllang — where the legends and folktales entwined with our lives creating an augmented reality.

A Portrayal of Jesus Christ as a foodie

Belated happy birthday aka Merry Xmas!

Post Da Vinci Code, I began to explore more of your temporal/material aspects in various dimensions basically in the artistic expressions from the tracts to Eco to Da Vinci to documentaries and many more. After reading Jean Soller (1997); I, lately, realised that one more aspect of yours that was truly neglected throughout is about food.

In the beginning, all life belongs to the God. Humans were created “in the image” of God, and defined food. God has his nourishment of “living beings” through sacrifices - human or animals, and humans have plants (not among the “living things”) but not “the Forbidden fruit” - knowledge of procreation. Adam and Eve, hence, were deprived of the pleasures of flesh. In other words, a fundamental difference between the two is expressed by the difference in their “foods” and procreation which nourishes each other well.

This worldview supports that the Paradise was, undoubtedly, vegetarian (Gen. 1:29). There were no meat dishes in the Paradise. But humans revolted twice for meat (Exod. 16:3; Num 11:4, 19-20). It was after the Flood — a new creation took place in terms of food - meat as a concession (Gen 9:3) but not blood because the latter was considered as life and belongs to the God (Gen. 9:4; Lev. 17:11). Unfortunately, there was no blood pudding.

To the dietary norms of “cleanness,” which is used to characterise permissible food basically to pattern with the Creator’s intension, Moses (Lev. 20:24-25) added a category of “hoofed foot, cloven foot, and chew the cud” to the dietary regime. Hence, the many sociocultural systems had pig, but they were deprived of pork. Still many remains “pork free.”

Secondly, “blemish” was considered an evil (Lev. 22:21). Later “blemish” generates ideas about “perfect, abled” vs. an evil. Consequently, menstrual blood and semen became “unclean.” Also fermented food. In some cases, it is extended to wine and/or exotic food items too.

Thirdly, “incest” - basically “no intermarriage, no cross dressing, no homosexuality and also no hybridity,” and “bestiality” were tools to maintain the order of the world. With respect to cooking, it is a culinary incest —  “no milk and meat together in the same pot” (Exod. 23: 19, 34) -- similar to “in the same bed.” Basically, there were no fusion, exotic and experimental foods - no creation.

Since it was a difficult situation to live with so many dietary restrictions with regard to food, there were ruptures in the dietary prescriptions symbolising ruptures in the belief by questioning ‘what is food?’

Mark (7:19) declared all food “clean.” Peter ate “unclean” food with a non-Jew, and baptised Cornelius, who was the first non-Jew convert. With the abolition of the distinction between “clean” and “unclean” foods, there was the abolition of the distinction between Jews and non-Jews. “Not what goes into the mouth defiles a human, but what comes out of the mouth” (Matt. 15:11) led a wider range of food items to be accepted as edible food. In the Mass, blood is consumed by the priest in the form of wine. Again, signifying priest as a hybrid of human and God, and connecting the two; therefore, overriding “blemish” and “incest.” Through these acts, you made us same, at least, in the dietary terms if not equal. And by denouncing the dietary prescriptions, you made a new creation where food has become a signifier of sharing, synthesising, and above all of love.

At the last meal, thus you said to your disciples to eat bread and drink wine as symbols of your body and blood “in remembrance of me” (Cor. 11:24-25). Da Vinci knew this aspect (and desire) of yours to be remembered as a foodie, thus he painted The Last Supper.

Now I am firmly sure that you were also a foodie like Buddha (and like many of us).Jesus Christ as a foodie