When Kishwar Choudhury, one of the finalists in the 13th season of MasterChef Australia, served the humble Panta bhaat, it was an ode in recognition of her rice-eating community in Bangladesh. Undeniably, it was also a gutsy rejection of hierarchical beliefs around culinary experiences, especially in restaurants. The rice mush fermented overnight and seasoned with salt, crushed shallots and green chillies, often served with fried fish or an eggplant mash, is only halfway there, culturally, without the fermentation. The rice’s night-long wait in water soaks in the complex past of a country’s people, their economic capital and the need for wholesomeness within limits. Recently, Jamie Oliver hired a team to rule out chances of appropriating food recipes such as the classic roast chicken, but do Indian chefs and food artistes navigate equally delicate grounds while re-routing local dishes on their menus? Does reclaiming of dishes in mainstream practices risk cultural appropriation? We ask the experts. 

The thin line

Niyati Rao