Feeding the gods : memories of food and culture in Bengal

"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."--Jacket

As the pungent fragrance of spices transports the author back into memories of childhood, we too are plunged headlong into the rich tastes, textures and colours of food in her native Bengal. Here, food is a ritualised and intrinsic part of the culture, particularly of the culture of women ́s lives. Beyond the meals prepared and cooked for everyday life, food offerings blessed by the gods are shared by devotees in daily ceremonies of worship, special dishes are cooked on auspicious days, and ritual ways of preparing foods are carefully mastered.

Feeding the Gods paints an extraordinary picture of food and ritual in Bengal. These complex rituals reveal not only an astonishingly rich culinary culture but also a social structure in which certain foods are forbidden. Combining social critique with the intimacy of memoir, Banerji writes of growing up from girlhood to womanhood in Bengal, a land where food and ritual are intimate experiences which shape day-to-day life.

Paints an extraordinary picture of food and ritual in Bengal, which reveal not only the culinary culture but also a social structure in which certain foods are forbidden. Combining social critique with the intimacy of memoir, the author writes of Bengal, a land where food and ritual are intimate experiences shaping day-to-day life. 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.