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Food
The Lotus (Stem)
Eaters
Whether it is a houseboat party or a ceremonial marriage feast, Kashmiri
Wazwan is not just a meal, it’s an art form, writes Navneet Sahni
Just the other day, I got around to making the popular adage “One should eat to live
the “real Dum Aloo” (read Kashmiri style) and not live to eat”. This will not work if
and I was transported back to the valley you have eaten this feast of feasts.
in the latter half of the ’70s and the next Hunger is one of the biggest urges of
decade. Living in the valley, especially humans and all religions lay importance
during college time, one of the most to the sacred act of eating. The Hindus
vivid memories was of the meals with give eating a place as sacred as divinity, in
fabulous dishes which constitute the grand Islam one of the names given to Almighty
“Wazwan”. We used to look forward to is Razaq – the provider of food. Our sacred
getting any invite to attend a wedding, or texts tell us about Ahuti and Qurbani –
some religious ceremony, a momentous offerings to the Gods before eating. Humans
celebratory occasion or simply Raj uncle’s have been given the six tastes – sweet, salt,
“Dunga” parties on the beautiful Nageen sour, astringent, hot and bitter but it is the
Lake. And if no such invites came our way, sense of smell which is the most important.
the visits to Ahdoos and Mughal Darbar This in fact has induced mankind to
restaurants were the fill-in-the-blank times. pursue the culinary skills using the local
These restaurant visits were a stop-gap – ingredients. Today as we all know this has
to stop the cravings with a dish or two at been elevated to an art form. The Hindu
most, whereas the complete Wazwan was “Shastras” talk about the importance of
a feast of several courses which would be a bride’s sure-shot way to her husband’s
impossible to get at a restaurant. Believe heart – through the stomach. All ancient
me, there is nothing as elaborate and tasty civilisations have well defined cuisines
as a grand Wazwan. One who has never had in some form or the other. Ancient trade
a Wazwan feast will continue to believe in routes, like the Silk Route, in fact were
SENIORS TODAY | ISSUE #17 | NOVEMBER 2020 35
