An equal serving

At first glance her illustrations might seem simple but therersquos more to them than meets the eye Instagram artist thebigfatbao real name withheld on request firmly believes that food is a marker of social status that highlights various existing sociogeographical differences across communitiesA simple egg roast or egg curry consumed with rice Although the recipe varies from region to region basic ingredients like onions tomatoes chillies and turmeric remain the sameThrough her work she argues that while food can serve as a ground to understand cultures for DBA Dalit Bahujan and Adivasi communities the experience is different mdash it is often rooted in memories of oppression humiliation and discrimination As crores of people around the world took to Instagram to showcase their cooking skills during the pandemic as a woman from the Dalit community this artist wanted to utilise the platform to illustrate and educate people on the topics of caste food and imposed gender roles This is how the idea for a series called Caste And Food was born as a set of illustrations that depict dishes that are at the heart of Dalit identity and resistance along with their recipes that have been passed down from one generation to the nextRatki made from the blood of goats cows buffaloes or sheepldquoIn South Asia the question of caste cannot be ignored It is a part and parcel of everyday life From the kind of water that is available for us DBA communities to the size of land if at all available mdash all of it is deeply rooted in caste Irsquom not the first person to speak about food and caste Many great women like Urmila Pawar and Babytai Kamble have spoken about caste and food ages ago Our food is very much a defining factor of our identityrdquo shares the artistThe illustrations depict fare such as ratki a jellylike dish traditionally made with blood from goats buffaloes cows or sheep boiled with salt and often used to turn into another dish called lakuti that is seasoned with onions and spices and is to be eaten with bhakri or chapati Recipes for these dishes accompany the illustrations in the Instagram posts along with relevant information about their originsA dish made of pumpkins called bhoplyacha keesldquoThese recipes were handed down from my motherrsquos side My grandmother was a very good cook and so is my mother All three of us had to learn how to cook at a very young age Fortunately by the time I was born our financial condition had improved and we could afford a wellstocked kitchen with stainless steel vessels Irsquove also asked friends from different parts of the country to share recipes from their statesrdquo says the artistIn a digital space that is dominated by Western and Savarna uppercaste Hindus influencers voices of Dalit artists are often overshadowed and this artist aims to challenge that ldquoThe polished and dull content that reflects the multilayered privileges of gender and caste dominates visuals on social media platforms In fact the ultrarefined minimalist decor or art that influencers use somehow always manages to alienate Dalit voices and art in digital spaces Thatrsquos where Irsquom trying to make a small pocket for myself on this worldwide platform I think my work illustrates the memories and lived experiences of the many Dalit women who experience oppression at various levels every single day of their lives Today the Internet is a democratic space so to speak and as Dalits we have to take advantage of this space to spread awareness about and celebrate our culturerdquoshe statesAlso ReadNaturersquos wrapLog on to thebigfatbao on Instagram