New book of poems explores Maharashtra's vibrant culture through its food

A fish or mutton thali on a deeply observed daymay leave you the lone carnivorein a room full of the devoutItrsquos beautiful how in just a few verses Sumedha Raikar Mhatre transforms an everyday meal experience into a reflection on identity Traversing Khandesh Konkan Vidarbha and Marathwada the writer translator and theatre criticrsquos poems draw from the writings of saints examine the intersections of food caste and social history and question ideas of authenticity as cuisines evolve through migration and exchangeThalipeeth and Gavran ThaliA State at the Table Bookleaf Publishing is more than a collection of poems about food Across 21 freeverse poems Raikar Mhatre journeys through Maharashtrarsquos kitchens landscapes and memories she uses food as a lens to explore the statersquos layered identity history faith and cultural memoryMasala CrabThis is a small offshoot of a larger book project on Marathi identity that Raikar Mhatre has been working on over the past year She partly credits her culture column at midday which enabled her to engage deeply with Maharashtrarsquos cultural ecosystem for 14 years It led her to its history and food offered an intimate entry point ldquoSo much of our public life is reflected in it Maharashtra politics has often revolved around food and rationsrdquoFood meets poetryThe book also explores how culinary cultures have evolved across the regionWhile Raikar Mhatre didnrsquot consciously choose free verse the form emerged through the subject ldquoPoetry is already present in food Look at Maswadi Solkadhi Dadpe Pohe Kombdi Vade Bhel Bhatta Ghavan Unde Thalipeeth Amti or Zunka Each holds rhythm patience proportion symmetry and instinct There is a certain metre a bhaav to cooking Food rarely exists as information it arrives as feeling The anticipation of Redkarrsquos Paplet Thali in Vengurla the whiff of Saoji Bhaji in a tiny Umred eatery a strawberry dessert in Mahabaleshwar or TomatoSev Curry in Jalgaon mdash all experiences are suitable to verse I owe these poems to Maharashtra its terrain seasons and landscapes From Pratapgad to Kaas Pathar Melghat to Wada and Madhi to Bhimashankar I encountered food mdash and moved beyond the edible to as a way of seeing a place and connecting with its peoplerdquoA menu board at a lunch homeShe believes the problem arises when an entire cuisine is reduced to a handful of familiar dishes ldquoThe state is too large and varied to be gauged through Sabudana Khichadi and Bakharwadi Every region from Khandesh and Varhad to Tal Konkan has its own ingredients techniques and food memories Maharashtrians donrsquot always do enough to champion this diversity Some of my most memorable meals have been in small eateries home kitchens and familyrun establishments I hope the book nudges people to go beyond the obviousrdquo she reminds usSumedha Raikar MhatreGoing traditionalBlurred Borders is among Raikar Mhatrersquos favourite poems It made her more cognisant about purported ideas of authenticity ldquoWe often speak as though there is a clear line between rural and urban traditional and modern local and outside influence But when I travelled those boundaries felt far more porous Across Maharashtra restaurants advertised with lsquoGavran Jevanrsquo villagestyle fare signboards while serving Chicken Lollipops Vegetarian Manchurian and Dal Makhni Traditional sweets like Anarsa are disappearing because few possess the skills to make them while itrsquos easy to spot desserts like Malai Sandwich on Maharashtrian wedding menus Cultures borrow adapt and evolve What interests me is that we debate identity passionately but pay little attention to our everyday food traditions including beverages and sweets The poem Blurred Borders grew from that tension ndash to not redraw boundaries but to ask whether we notice how theyrsquove already shiftedrdquoQuestions about food led Raikar Mhatre to larger debates about Maharashtra ldquoWe argue about identity yet do we fully grasp what we are trying to preserve promote or pass on Are we hurt by the disappearance of the trademark cotton Induri saree Do we reminisce about the Diwali anks that no longer define our festive faraal Mumbai is one of the worldrsquos great migrant cities New people ideas foods and habits emerge continuously enriching the staterdquoShe feels that the answer doesnrsquot lie in resisting change ldquoOur state has always evolved through exchange But the challenge is to create more spaces where local cultures languages and food traditions are understood celebrated and shared with confidence Maharashtrians need to articulate their culture with greater clarity and generosity without fearing that every effort will be labelled narrow or nativistrdquoLog on to bookleafpubcom