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_askthebookbug's review against another edition
5.0
| Book Review | The Flavours of Nationalism.
•
Thank you for the copy @speakingtiger
•
"But Nagas have the last word on the origins of inequality between the sexes and the sufferings of women: if only Adam and Eve had been Nagas they would have left the apple and eaten the snake!" - Nandita Haksar.
•
The Flavours of Nationalism was my first attempt at reading a food memoir and it turned out to be a brilliant one. Albeit I was familiar with her name, I didn't have a clue about her writing style which is why this book blew me away. I expected to find an ordinary memoir but was pleasantly surprised to see how well she addressed many critical topics including feminism and politics. This book is crafted with care with various references to old texts and history. Imagine looking at the food that you eat every day in a new way because of this beautiful book. Nandita Haksar is a human rights lawyer, writer and was once a journalist. Her sense of humour and wittiness shines throughout the book all the while focusing on important issues both nationally as well as internationally.
•
Spread out across five chapters, Nandita begins narrating her own experiences of tasting many dishes ever since she was a child. Being a Kashmiri Pandit, she tells us about her cuisine and what makes it special. She gives us a detailed picture of her family and how they pushed her to try new cuisines. Having born into an influential and political family, she learns about the many facets of Indian government. In each chapter, she stresses on a particular topic. But my favourite of all was Feminist Furies in which she talks about how women are subconsciously made to cook dishes for men just because they're women. Most people don't realise the patriarchal side of it but she explains it with ease and it makes you consider the way you handled things in the past. I was pleased to find few recipes shared by the author that she found special through friends and families.
•
I was surprised to know how food influences a particular culture or even a community. For example, I wasn't aware that the Naga men cooked during their community weddings, that Kashmiri Pandits eat meat but didn't initially eat onions and garlic. Apart from being interesting, this book was immensely informative. Her journey of working with communists and how every place led her to meet new people, their mindsets and particularly their food was very enjoyable to read. In the later chapters, she speaks openly about government and how it even threw many people out of business which led to starvation and death. She also talks about how religion sets apart people from enjoying all kinds of food. Her relationship with her husband Sebastian and their many adventures in experimenting with food made my mouth water. It's beautiful how food brings people together as she talks about the many lunch and dinner parties her parents hosted for important delegates.
•
Before you choose to read this book, make sure you are open to reading various topics that are part of the society. From the beef buying ban to many attempts made by the government in introducing fast food to our country while shunning street vendors from earning their share, all these are derived from facts. While she goes on to make several crucial points about how and why our country is both united but also shows severe differences when it comes to different cuisines, you cannot help but wonder how true she is in this context. I'm going to pass on this book to many others and I'd recommend everyone to pick this gem of a book. I feel strangely happy that food memoir has now joined my favourite genre list. This book is beautiful in every sense and I cannot thank Haksar enough for penning it down. A must read.
•
Rating - 5/5.
•
Thank you for the copy @speakingtiger
•
"But Nagas have the last word on the origins of inequality between the sexes and the sufferings of women: if only Adam and Eve had been Nagas they would have left the apple and eaten the snake!" - Nandita Haksar.
•
The Flavours of Nationalism was my first attempt at reading a food memoir and it turned out to be a brilliant one. Albeit I was familiar with her name, I didn't have a clue about her writing style which is why this book blew me away. I expected to find an ordinary memoir but was pleasantly surprised to see how well she addressed many critical topics including feminism and politics. This book is crafted with care with various references to old texts and history. Imagine looking at the food that you eat every day in a new way because of this beautiful book. Nandita Haksar is a human rights lawyer, writer and was once a journalist. Her sense of humour and wittiness shines throughout the book all the while focusing on important issues both nationally as well as internationally.
•
Spread out across five chapters, Nandita begins narrating her own experiences of tasting many dishes ever since she was a child. Being a Kashmiri Pandit, she tells us about her cuisine and what makes it special. She gives us a detailed picture of her family and how they pushed her to try new cuisines. Having born into an influential and political family, she learns about the many facets of Indian government. In each chapter, she stresses on a particular topic. But my favourite of all was Feminist Furies in which she talks about how women are subconsciously made to cook dishes for men just because they're women. Most people don't realise the patriarchal side of it but she explains it with ease and it makes you consider the way you handled things in the past. I was pleased to find few recipes shared by the author that she found special through friends and families.
•
I was surprised to know how food influences a particular culture or even a community. For example, I wasn't aware that the Naga men cooked during their community weddings, that Kashmiri Pandits eat meat but didn't initially eat onions and garlic. Apart from being interesting, this book was immensely informative. Her journey of working with communists and how every place led her to meet new people, their mindsets and particularly their food was very enjoyable to read. In the later chapters, she speaks openly about government and how it even threw many people out of business which led to starvation and death. She also talks about how religion sets apart people from enjoying all kinds of food. Her relationship with her husband Sebastian and their many adventures in experimenting with food made my mouth water. It's beautiful how food brings people together as she talks about the many lunch and dinner parties her parents hosted for important delegates.
•
Before you choose to read this book, make sure you are open to reading various topics that are part of the society. From the beef buying ban to many attempts made by the government in introducing fast food to our country while shunning street vendors from earning their share, all these are derived from facts. While she goes on to make several crucial points about how and why our country is both united but also shows severe differences when it comes to different cuisines, you cannot help but wonder how true she is in this context. I'm going to pass on this book to many others and I'd recommend everyone to pick this gem of a book. I feel strangely happy that food memoir has now joined my favourite genre list. This book is beautiful in every sense and I cannot thank Haksar enough for penning it down. A must read.
•
Rating - 5/5.
annkitsch's review against another edition
3.0
Enjoyed this immensely. Did feel the writing style was a little too abrupt for me. Anecdotes were sprinkled everywhere starting and ending like a bullet train track and didn’t seem the cohesive to the chapter’s themes. But I still liked the educational aspect behind it because they all do have one overarching theme of how food and society mingle
sakshisingh77's review against another edition
4.0
If there is something I love more than watching people cook then it might be reading about food lmao. This book explores the themes of politics, caste, feminism with the help of food. Apart from food, the author also talks about the lives of people who are involved in the food industry. Little did I know about the food we consume every day and how it influences the society, hence throughout the book I was taken by surprise. It was a good read, except for the fact I felt hungry throughout.
kafiro_ka_kafka's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Genius book. Never thought i can study history and politics with the help of cuisine.
perching_cat's review against another edition
5.0
If any book can awaken one to the blind lie of "not everything is political", it's this one. Thank you Nandita.
_askthebookbug's review
5.0
| Book Review | The Flavours of Nationalism.
•
Thank you for the copy @speakingtiger
•
"But Nagas have the last word on the origins of inequality between the sexes and the sufferings of women: if only Adam and Eve had been Nagas they would have left the apple and eaten the snake!" - Nandita Haksar.
•
The Flavours of Nationalism was my first attempt at reading a food memoir and it turned out to be a brilliant one. Albeit I was familiar with her name, I didn't have a clue about her writing style which is why this book blew me away. I expected to find an ordinary memoir but was pleasantly surprised to see how well she addressed many critical topics including feminism and politics. This book is crafted with care with various references to old texts and history. Imagine looking at the food that you eat every day in a new way because of this beautiful book. Nandita Haksar is a human rights lawyer, writer and was once a journalist. Her sense of humour and wittiness shines throughout the book all the while focusing on important issues both nationally as well as internationally.
•
Spread out across five chapters, Nandita begins narrating her own experiences of tasting many dishes ever since she was a child. Being a Kashmiri Pandit, she tells us about her cuisine and what makes it special. She gives us a detailed picture of her family and how they pushed her to try new cuisines. Having born into an influential and political family, she learns about the many facets of Indian government. In each chapter, she stresses on a particular topic. But my favourite of all was Feminist Furies in which she talks about how women are subconsciously made to cook dishes for men just because they're women. Most people don't realise the patriarchal side of it but she explains it with ease and it makes you consider the way you handled things in the past. I was pleased to find few recipes shared by the author that she found special through friends and families.
•
I was surprised to know how food influences a particular culture or even a community. For example, I wasn't aware that the Naga men cooked during their community weddings, that Kashmiri Pandits eat meat but didn't initially eat onions and garlic. Apart from being interesting, this book was immensely informative. Her journey of working with communists and how every place led her to meet new people, their mindsets and particularly their food was very enjoyable to read. In the later chapters, she speaks openly about government and how it even threw many people out of business which led to starvation and death. She also talks about how religion sets apart people from enjoying all kinds of food. Her relationship with her husband Sebastian and their many adventures in experimenting with food made my mouth water. It's beautiful how food brings people together as she talks about the many lunch and dinner parties her parents hosted for important delegates.
•
Before you choose to read this book, make sure you are open to reading various topics that are part of the society. From the beef buying ban to many attempts made by the government in introducing fast food to our country while shunning street vendors from earning their share, all these are derived from facts. While she goes on to make several crucial points about how and why our country is both united but also shows severe differences when it comes to different cuisines, you cannot help but wonder how true she is in this context. I'm going to pass on this book to many others and I'd recommend everyone to pick this gem of a book. I feel strangely happy that food memoir has now joined my favourite genre list. This book is beautiful in every sense and I cannot thank Haksar enough for penning it down. A must read.
•
Rating - 5/5.
•
Thank you for the copy @speakingtiger
•
"But Nagas have the last word on the origins of inequality between the sexes and the sufferings of women: if only Adam and Eve had been Nagas they would have left the apple and eaten the snake!" - Nandita Haksar.
•
The Flavours of Nationalism was my first attempt at reading a food memoir and it turned out to be a brilliant one. Albeit I was familiar with her name, I didn't have a clue about her writing style which is why this book blew me away. I expected to find an ordinary memoir but was pleasantly surprised to see how well she addressed many critical topics including feminism and politics. This book is crafted with care with various references to old texts and history. Imagine looking at the food that you eat every day in a new way because of this beautiful book. Nandita Haksar is a human rights lawyer, writer and was once a journalist. Her sense of humour and wittiness shines throughout the book all the while focusing on important issues both nationally as well as internationally.
•
Spread out across five chapters, Nandita begins narrating her own experiences of tasting many dishes ever since she was a child. Being a Kashmiri Pandit, she tells us about her cuisine and what makes it special. She gives us a detailed picture of her family and how they pushed her to try new cuisines. Having born into an influential and political family, she learns about the many facets of Indian government. In each chapter, she stresses on a particular topic. But my favourite of all was Feminist Furies in which she talks about how women are subconsciously made to cook dishes for men just because they're women. Most people don't realise the patriarchal side of it but she explains it with ease and it makes you consider the way you handled things in the past. I was pleased to find few recipes shared by the author that she found special through friends and families.
•
I was surprised to know how food influences a particular culture or even a community. For example, I wasn't aware that the Naga men cooked during their community weddings, that Kashmiri Pandits eat meat but didn't initially eat onions and garlic. Apart from being interesting, this book was immensely informative. Her journey of working with communists and how every place led her to meet new people, their mindsets and particularly their food was very enjoyable to read. In the later chapters, she speaks openly about government and how it even threw many people out of business which led to starvation and death. She also talks about how religion sets apart people from enjoying all kinds of food. Her relationship with her husband Sebastian and their many adventures in experimenting with food made my mouth water. It's beautiful how food brings people together as she talks about the many lunch and dinner parties her parents hosted for important delegates.
•
Before you choose to read this book, make sure you are open to reading various topics that are part of the society. From the beef buying ban to many attempts made by the government in introducing fast food to our country while shunning street vendors from earning their share, all these are derived from facts. While she goes on to make several crucial points about how and why our country is both united but also shows severe differences when it comes to different cuisines, you cannot help but wonder how true she is in this context. I'm going to pass on this book to many others and I'd recommend everyone to pick this gem of a book. I feel strangely happy that food memoir has now joined my favourite genre list. This book is beautiful in every sense and I cannot thank Haksar enough for penning it down. A must read.
•
Rating - 5/5.
arcoftym's review
3.0
Nandita Haksar tries to connect food to identity of India in this book. Initially, the book has a solid start but as it progresses, I found many offhanded statements made by the author without giving it enough attention those statements deserved.
Author narrates many experiences she has had through out her life which are very interesting. Various journeys of author are engrossing to read but they dont feel coherent. It feels like they are strewn about the book haphazardly. For example, at one point author talks about Jarawas of Andaman islands and how food offered by tourists is having a negative impact on them. But then immediately moves on to story from the north without giving a reason or conclusion for Jarawas. There are many such small stories in the book.
Throughout the book, RSS and other Hindutva outfits are blamed for damaging Indian cultural ethos but reason for that is not given. The only explanation was an excerpt from Ambedkar's book but it wasn't enough for me. I understand where the author is coming from and I do agree with her, I just think it should have been presented with more clarity. In the end, author blames junk food for rising obesity in kids. I found this to be really funny because throughout the book, author has talked about food which is rich in ghee, oil, sugar and all sorts of fats. So it felt pretty counter-intuitive to me.
I read the book during Covid-19 lockdown so when I read author's remarks on regional eastern food versus western "civilized" food, I felt there should have been more to it than western = civilized and regional = uncivilized. There is definitely more to the issue than simply blaming eastern societies for eating exotic foods. This is the main issue for me. Author is well read and she of course knows more and understands better but it never translated in the book. It felt one-dimensional to me.
Author narrates many experiences she has had through out her life which are very interesting. Various journeys of author are engrossing to read but they dont feel coherent. It feels like they are strewn about the book haphazardly. For example, at one point author talks about Jarawas of Andaman islands and how food offered by tourists is having a negative impact on them. But then immediately moves on to story from the north without giving a reason or conclusion for Jarawas. There are many such small stories in the book.
Throughout the book, RSS and other Hindutva outfits are blamed for damaging Indian cultural ethos but reason for that is not given. The only explanation was an excerpt from Ambedkar's book but it wasn't enough for me. I understand where the author is coming from and I do agree with her, I just think it should have been presented with more clarity. In the end, author blames junk food for rising obesity in kids. I found this to be really funny because throughout the book, author has talked about food which is rich in ghee, oil, sugar and all sorts of fats. So it felt pretty counter-intuitive to me.
I read the book during Covid-19 lockdown so when I read author's remarks on regional eastern food versus western "civilized" food, I felt there should have been more to it than western = civilized and regional = uncivilized. There is definitely more to the issue than simply blaming eastern societies for eating exotic foods. This is the main issue for me. Author is well read and she of course knows more and understands better but it never translated in the book. It felt one-dimensional to me.
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