Food and eating in the time of Corona

Things that were considered normal in the routine are still normal but the observation to details has gone up a few notches given the availability of time and leisure. For example, remembering finer details in films and connecting them to our everyday life and living is a passable but noteworthy activity. The other day, I was watching a disturbing 2017 film titled, The Killing of a Sacred Deer which is available on Netflix. Without discussing the film, I would like to mention a small detail in which one of the characters mention how he always keeps the best part of his meal for the last. For example, he loves fries and whenever he orders burgers, he keeps the fries for the last because he wants to end his meal with his favourite item. This detail is quite insignificant when you consider the entire film but not quite not when someone in your life does the same. My husband is so - he loves eggs (in any form) and almost always saves the egg for the last ensuing me asking for it because I would have finished mine along with the meal. For me, the item that I like has to be part of every bite and hence when I finish eating, all the dishes are done - leaving a clean plate. My husband is the opposite. He saves his eggs, the meat dishes and other favourite items for the last and after eating everything else on the plate, slowly eats the egg or any other item, savouring the taste, much to my chagrin. Well, I can't ask for it without getting fed on a lecture of how I have already completed eating, I had my share and blah, blah, blah. The end result: He does not share! Ever! Perhaps on a rare occasion, he might share based on his whim or fancy but that occurrence is like the blue or pink moon. Well, let that be.

The sunny-side up that we often fight for

Now let us talk about Feni, our non-human companion. He adores food - any time, any food except vegetables. He starts salivating the moment he hears his vessel being handled in the kitchen making us wonder whether he imagines the food, which is still to be proved. Sometimes, he smells some food and stands next to us in the kitchen with hope writ large on his face. A hope that is ever present and is for the now. He may or not get that particular item but he never loses hope again making us wonder whether he knows what hope is - The truth is that we often view his actions and thoughts according to our human parameters and would like to do so even when we realise that what we think is just our own perception of things. During this time of lockdown, we are able to observe Feni and his antics alongside enjoying them. Earlier food was something that was served to Feni since it was the time for food but now it is the feeling that Feni would be waiting, he has smelt the food and let us treat him and nourish him is the thought.

Feni captured in a fancy manner in one of his moods (could be before or after eating)

All of us are trying our best to live during these times and engage in whatever fuels our time and mind. But then there are days when everything seems to be a never ending drag that drains the mind and body and at that time food and eating become routine.

Hope you are well and safe during these uncertain times.

The prasad and the Christian

Prasad is any offering made to the deity in the Hindu religion. Any festival or visit to the temple is incomplete without offering the god/goddess in question the choicest food, which of course would be later consumed by the people who offered the goodies to the god/goddess. Sometimes, the offerings are made in the temple and the prasad is distributed to the devotees present. Well, I wish it was as simple as that!

Now, Christianity has the concept of clean and unclean food - unclean foods include any food which has been offered to any idol or deity. This idea of unclean-ness forbids majority of Christians from partaking of the prasad which is kindly offered to them.

When I was growing up in Bombay (now Mumbai), we lived in a colony allotted to staff who worked for the Airports Authority. There were people belonging to different communities and food was also freely distributed. But there was a problem. My parents forbid us to touch any food item that was offered to gods and goddesses from other religions. Obviously we were protestant Christians. My parents were (and still are) quite rigid about anything to do with other gods/goddesses. We being children, we tagged along with our friends to every festivity which was organised by the colony. Ganesh Chaturti was always celebrated with great pomp and splendour. While the celebrations were fun, I used to hate the time when prasad was being distributed - I could neither run away nor eat the offering. I was always in a confused state and did not know how to tackle the issue at hand. I devised a way - I neither wanted to hurt the Hindu by refusing the prasad nor anger my parents by eating the prasad. So, I would receive the prasad and then throw it away into the nearest dust-bin. Such was my fear of god.

We grew up and then food was just food - be it prasad which was offered or biriyani which was shared. It took me a great deal to stop seeing the religious attachments with food. But today around me I see many Christian staff who point blank refuse the prasad. I start to scoff at them, but stop, thinking of my parents.

I still don't accept the prasad when my mother is with me. Luckily, I don't have to do anything because my mother refuses on 'our' behalf.