Feeding the gods : memories of food and culture in Bengal

Description

In the hands of the author, who writes of growing up from girlhood to womanhood in her native land, food and ritual become intimate experiences which shape day-to-day life for the women of that culture. As memories of food preparation take shape, recalling associations of taste, smell and texture, a parallel thread of social commentary calls forth sharp observations; for example, how certain foods are 'forbidden' and what Bengali widows cannot eat. Eminently readable, this volume combines rigorous research into food and cultural history, social critique and the intimacy of memoir. 1. The hour of the goddess -- 2. Feeding the gods -- 3. Powder and paste -- 4. A dose of bitters -- 5. Food and difference -- 6. Crossing the borders -- 7. The Bonti of Bengal -- 8. Five little seeds -- 9. What Bengali widows cannot eat.