What did our elders eat?
Life in Kashmir has become challenging. Each day something new is exposed that send shivers down the spine. On July 31, when the Food Safety Department Srinagar, in co-ordination with the Drug and Food Control Organisation (DFCO), confiscated 1,200 kilograms of decayed meat from an industrial estate in Zakura, everyone was shocked, raising serious concerns about the food safety in the Valley. Over the past week, raids at multiple locations were conducted, leading to the seizure of huge quantity of stale and rotten meat that we ate until yesterday. With how many more nuisances Kashmiris have to fight. One fails to understand this.
Serving rotten meat is a clear indication of our rotten conscience that has made us so selfish and greedy. One way or the other, we all are to be blamed. Thank God, and hats off to the Food Safety Department who disclosed the rotten meat mafia, and opened our eyes for not to rely on everything, sold in the market. All this mafia, however, reminds us of earlier times and promptly makes us asks a crucial question to ourselves, that is, ‘what kind of food our elders ate during yesteryears?’ Did they blindly trust on the market meat like us? No, certainly not. Our elders lived an exemplary life. They didn’t eat ‘Tcho’ht’ (poison) that is easily available to us in the markets nowadays. Instead, they preferred everything homemade that put them always from deadly disease that I and you quite often hear about. The secret behind their ripe age (long life) and healthy life-style was wholly and solely their homemade food. They ate everything fresh. Not the exposed, stale, and rotten food that often allures us in the markets.
Our elders were indubitably visionary and far-sighted citizens though not so cash-rich and ostentatious like us. They didn’t rely too much on market items. They were self-reliant, producing almost everything from their homes. They often ate seasonally, consuming foods that were available during specific times of the year. They visited markets least and restrained themselves to buy things that could prove harmful to them. The traditional foods were something they usually ate, believing to have healing properties, with certain foods believed to have specific health benefits.
Decades back, Kashmir was not what presently it is—devoid of any ‘haw baw’ and fake outlook. When any guests would arrive at home, our elders would treat them sincerely with great affection, heartfelt feelings and as per their capability. They didn’t order anything that they haven’t seen or that could deteriorate their guest’s health. Instead, they served him the homemade food that was safe and tasty.
Their respect towards their guest was real not fictitious. They didn’t let any adulterated market food come inside their kitchens. Thool (eggs) was a dish they usually served to their guest at edifice. And if the Pouchh (guest) was Lazimdar (special), then a Kokerpout (Kashmiri chicken) was instantly taken out from the Kokarmore (hencoop) to be slaughtered discreetly by a virtuous elderly in the mohalla. Not to talk of any decayed meat, a family even declared a chicken Haram (prohibited), if it was not properly slaughtered.
In our elders’ time, a guest was an emissary from God, treated so genuinely and affectionately. He was presented pure homemade food that was unadulterated or what they could themselves prepare with their own hands; not these premade ristas, kebabs, chicken, etc. that are in vogue over the years in Kashmir. Today, we rely on the market for everything, however, in our elders’ time, it was quite the reverse.
We have no time to prepare food for ourselves at home. How come the guest will be served the home cooked food? Our elders didn’t, however, present a variety of dishes to their guests which they had not cooked themselves. Rather, they brought him simple homemade food that wasn’t harmful. Even the guests, then, were so discreet and cautious. They too didn’t touch anything that was market-made. They preferred everything homemade. Be it ‘Aab-e-Tchout’ (chapati made of rice flour) or ‘Aeth-e-Tchout’ (handmade bread) over market made Kulcha, Tchhvoer or Bakerkhani, etc. That all is possible even today provided we sincerely pledge to take care of ourselves.
Amidst the rotten meat incidents exposed every other day; whole Kashmir has crucial lessons to learn from its wise ancestors whose prudent lifestyle was healthy and hygienic with strict adherence to food safety norms to prevent health hazards. Come; let’s roll back and ponder over the secrets behind the simple and healthy lifestyle of our elders and support initiatives that promote safe food habits and practices. The sooner, the better.
Sayeesa Shaban hails from Amargarh, Sopore
