Savoring traditions: culinary memory, familial identity, and authenticity of meen curry in Kerala

Abstract

Food has been invented, consumed, modified, and evolved through the ages based on social conditions. This influence can be seen in Kerala, a South Indian state along the Arabian Sea, which has been part of the colonial expedition. The culinary heritage of Kerala is a unique blend of foreign influences from Arabs, Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch, and British who arrived on its shores. In this context, the aim of the study is to focus on the authenticity of Kerala’s traditional dish, meen curry, in relation to culinary nostalgia and familial identity. The research paper will provide a comprehensive analysis of meen curry and the ingredients used in Kerala-style restaurant, studio kitchen, toddy shop, and heirloom recipes to understand how the dish is prepared in various settings within and outside the state as an agent of culinary traditions and nostalgia. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six participants to explore the gastronomic landscape of Bangalore and Kerala with respect to the authenticity of meen curry. The qualitative data from these interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis and categorized into three relevant themes. The findings of the study suggest that the authenticity of meen curry of Kerala is variable and subjective, and one single form of “authentic” meen curry that represents entire Kerala does not exist. The research will contribute to the current academic knowledge on how the authenticity of food is perceived by communities or individuals and suggests that this perspective may be applicable to other societies or cuisines for future research.

Introduction

The great Malayalam poet Valathol Narayana Menon describes Kerala as she “sleeps with her head on the lap of the Sahyadri clad in green” and “her feet pillowed on the crystal ocean sand, Kumari at one end and the Lord of Gokarna on the other” [1]. Kerala is a South Indian state established in 1956 [1] located at the southwestern tip of the Indian peninsula (see Fig. 1). As the coastal region, Kerala has historically engaged in foreign trade with Arabs, Portuguese, Romans, Chinese, and British [1, 2].

Fig. 1

The map showing Kerala as a South Indian state. Retrieved from: https://images.app.goo.gl/EDpXwLcEjGkvKtxr5

Excavation reports on the ancient port Muziris reveal the trade connections with Romans, Arabs, Persians, and Chinese [3]. Black pepper, cardamom, and other spices were exported, while pearls, silk, and gold were imported [2]. This historical spice trade highlights that food has long been an international commodity. The influence of trade can be traced in the foodways of different communities in Kerala. For instance, mangoes, introduced to Kerala through trade [4], are a crucial ingredient in Fish Mango Curry and other dishes. Similarly, the cassava (kappa) introduced by Portuguese [5] has become a staple food in Kerala, typically enjoyed with spicy meen curry (fish curry).

Surrounded by the ocean, Kerala cuisine prominently features seafood such as mussels, prawns, shellfish, and crabs. During the monsoon season, Kerala experiences a marine phenomenon known as chakkara, where mud banks are formed and bring abundance of fish to the shore. The Sangam literature [6] and Pliny’s travel account highlight the rich resources of fish in Kerala. Additionally, Kerala is the only maritime Indian state where fishing communities of Muslims, Hindus, and Christians have a significant presence [7]. As mentioned in a twelfth-century treatise called Valavisu Puranam (An Epic of Fishing), each community has distinct traditions and fishing methods. The term Kudumbam Pularthi, meaning “family provider” or “family caretaker,” refers to oil sardines, a common fish species in Kerala. Consequently, the ecological setting of the land, connected with lagoons, backwaters, and rivers, ensures plenty of aquatic resources. As the foodways are influenced by the ecological settings [8], fish becomes culturally essential and inseparable part of their diet.

The aim of the study is to question the notion of a single form of meen curry labeled as “authentic” in restaurants and studio kitchens outside Kerala, particularly for foreigners. Kerala, as a diverse community, produces varieties of meen curry recipes that reflect its different regions, communities, and traditions. The paper explores how the concept of a singular “authentic” meen curry has emerged among tourists through restaurants outside Kerala and examines what meen curry signifies in Kerala as a staple food.

Authenticity of food differs in terms of tradition, prescription, the ingredients, and methods of consumption [9,10,11,12]. Despite existing research, there has been a lack of attention to Kerala cuisine, particularly on the diverse varieties of meen curry presented to tourists under the label of authenticity. This study aims to examine how the people in Kerala perceive their own authentic versions of meen curry through family recipes, identity, and culinary heritage.

Food, Identity, and Authenticity

Food has been a part of our daily lives since birth, giving us a sense of identity. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, “identity” is defined as “a person’s name and other facts about who they are.” As the American Chef Lidia Bastianich says, "Food is an identity, a footprint of who you are” [13]. Each day, we make thoughtful decisions on what to eat and how to cook, making food a cultural signifier. Every tradition has a particular way of cooking and eating-related to daily routines and cultural events that have been practiced for years. These cultural practices are interconnected with our memories, leading us to seek “homely” food whenever we step outside our homes. Culinary memories are effective and transportive. It can often be tied up with nostalgia for a certain event, episode, or action in our lives.

Food as an expression of identity is also evident in how people choose restaurants to dine in. According to McComber and Postel, restaurants serve food along with the emotional needs of a customer [14]. Therefore, each restaurant targets a particular category of customers and caters to their emotional, psychological, and physical needs through food. Micheal Carolan termed the word “food habits” to study the different manners and foodways of people and why they spend energy, money, and time to cook, serve, and eat every day. They argue that these foodways are unique to human beings. Therefore, food plays a crucial role in everyday life for an individual as a living and lived history [15]. At an individual level, food can shape one’s identity, and at a community level, cooking and foodways can develop one’s familial identity through collective narratives, memories, and values [16, 17].

According to Taylor, “there are at least as many definitions of authenticity as there are those who write about it” [18]. Cambridge Dictionary defines “authenticity” as "the quality of being real or true.” In the work titled, “Authenticity of Food” written by Borghini argues that “authenticity is indeed often associated to local foods and geographical indications, which in the mind of the most consumers demarcate genuine, real relations between food and place…” [11]. Keeping this in mind, the study will show how the authenticity of meen curry is variable and subjective, depending on culinary memory, familial identity, and traditions.

The Kerala Meen Curry

Among the many culinary heritage programs initiated by the Government of Kerala is the recent food festival Keralam 2023, the 67th birthday celebration of Kerala celebrated on November 1st every year. There were 150 stalls with different kinds of food ranging from thattukada (local shop) to five-star hotel delicacies spanning over eleven venues. As part of the event, the government released the world's largest menu card, including dishes that celebrate culinary heritage, diversity in cuisines, and tradition [19].

One of the varieties of the food stalls was seafood. Since the Arabian Sea surrounds the state from top to bottom, seafood is available abundantly throughout the year. In order to maintain the authentic flavor and taste, Kerala-style fish curry is traditionally made in meen chatti (clay pots) and ideally cooked on an aduppu (stone kitchen stove). Nowadays, aduppu has been replaced by smokeless stoves or gas stoves. Meen chatti enhances the flavor of the fish curry (see Fig. 2). At present, these meen chattis are available in markets and through online sources. Fish curries cooked around Kerala differ in preparation depending on the region.

Fig. 2

Meen curry cooked in Meen chatti (clay pot) enhances the flavor. The unglazed clay pot can regain the flavors and moisture throughout the dish

Kallu Shaapu Meen Curry or Shappile Meen Curry (Toddy shop Fish Curry) savors the spicy hot red gravy and tangy flavor of Malabar tamarind to suit the taste buds of regular toddy drinkers. Among the varieties of meen curry in Kerala, a simple meen curry made according to regional preference is always a Malayalee’s favorite dish. For instance, Alleppey Meen Curry is the regional dish of the Alappuzha district, Angamaly Meen Manga Curry (Fish Mango Curry) belongs to Thrissur and Ernakulum district, and Red color Meen Curry is the specialty of Idukki, Kottayam districts. This variety of meen curries can be differentiated by their association with regional names. The ingredients used by each region are almost the same, except for one or two ingredients, such as mango or coconut milk. However, the cooking process and the timely mixing of ingredients produce flavorfully distinct meen curries that vary in color and taste. Therefore, the discourse on the authenticity of Kerala meen curry cannot be confined to a single variety of the dish.

In 2022–2023, the Department of Fisheries, Government of India, commissioned an in-depth assessment of the fishery industry from the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER). The study showed that the amount of fish consumed monthly by households has increased dramatically over the past ten years, from 2.66 kg in the NSS 68th Round in 2011–2012 to 4.99 kg in 2022–2023 [20]. Globalization has made it easier to buy ingredients from around the world. As a result, a wider range of spices and other ingredients are now available for making meen curry. Moreover, in addition to ingredients, a ready-to-eat version of shappile meen curry is also available in the market.

Ethnic Food and Beverage Consumer Trend Report of 2018 suggests that 30% of consumers are ready to pay more for ethnic food items. Since consumers are putting effort into buying ethnic food, global markets are flourishing with new food processing technologies [21]. For instance, the Tasty Nibbles brand, distributed by Prakash Food, is a Kerala-based company. Tasty Nibbles produces canned food, groceries, ready-to-eat onasadhya, ethnic foods, pickles, and frozen fish, including shappile meen curry. The food is packaged using Japanese retort technology, which allows it to be eaten straight from the packet. In 2022, Tasty Nibbles was awarded second place in value-added sea products for 2019–2022 by the Marine Products Exports Development Authority (MPEDA).

As a result of globalization, varieties of meen curry have crossed the borders of Kerala to other states and countries as packaged food. In Kerala, the vegetarians use Kovakkai (ivy gourd) instead of fish to make a dish similar to meen curry. They include Malabar tamarind in the dish to achieve a similar taste and appearance. Table 1 shows different types of meen curry in Kerala. The unique element of the meen curry makes it specific to region.

Table 1 Types of meen curry in Kerala

Method

Semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted with six (n = 6) participants from Kerala in November 2023. A combination of non-probability purposive sampling and snowball sampling techniques was utilized to identify participants relevant to the study from different districts of Kerala. The interviews used open-ended questions, allowing the participants to discuss about their kitchen space, memories, experiences, culinary methods, and techniques. Each interview began with the pre-developed questions centered on the objectives of the research and lasted from 45 to 60 min. Informed consent was obtained from all the participants for data collection and publication. Some of the interview questions included: “Could you please share a bit about your family background and your role in the household?,” “Can you walk me through a typical day in your kitchen? How do you plan and prepare meals?” “Do you have any family recipes that have been passed down through generations? How important are they in your daily cooking?” “Have you tried cooking meen curry? Could you describe preparing it?,” and so on. These interview questions were developed with consideration of previous studies related to identity, Kerala cuisine, food memories, authenticity, and Toddy shops. The semi-structured interviews were conducted in Malayalam and transcribed verbatim for thematic analysis. The three identified themes are: (1) Culinary Nostalgia and Authenticity, (2) Identity and Authenticity, and (3) Culinary Memory and Familial Identity.

All of the informants (n = 6) were born in Kerala. X1 is a restaurateur who operates a Kerala cuisine-themed restaurant in the heart of the metropolitan city, Bangalore, attracting many foreigners. X2 is a Bachelor in Hotel Management student, who conducts live kitchen demonstrations showcasing dishes from his hometown. X3 is a toddy shop owner whose establishment has been recognized as a Mathuruka Kallu Shaapu (Model Toddy Shop) by Government of Kerala. X4, X5, and X6 are home makers who volunteered to be interviewed; they are well-known in their region for their recipes and culinary expertise. Among the participants (n = 6), three are females (n = 3), and three are males (n = 3). The detailed demographic profiles of the participants are provided in Table 2.

Table 2 Demographic profile of the participants’

Results and Discussion

Conceptual Framework

According to Maxwell, “conceptual framework is a formulation of what you think is going on with the phenomena you are studying-a tentative theory of what is happening and why” [26]. Therefore, Table 3 presents the conceptual framework of this study in order to provide focus and structure. The below schematic diagram shows the ethnographic paradigm (Fig. 3). Table 4 displays the data collected from the participants, categorized according to the research questions to form relevant themes.

Fig. 3

Schematic diagram of ethnographic paradigm

Table 3 Conceptual Framework

Table 4 Grouping interview transcripts and research questions to form themes

Culinary Nostalgia and Authenticity

Bangalore, the capital of the state of Karnataka in South India, is a major metropolis and a hub for Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and Information Technology (IT) companies. It is often referred to as the “Silicon Valley of India” [27, 28]. Bangalore was founded in 1537 [28] by the local military officer Kempa Gowda during the Vijayanagara Empire [27]. The immigrant population in the capital has grown by 12%, making it the fastest-growing group in India [29]. As a result, the food industry in Bangalore is thriving by creating “authentic” cuisine for migrants who miss their homes. In his work Culinary Nostalgia: Regional Food Culture and the Urban Experience in Shanghai, Mark Swislocki argues that food is not just “the object of nostalgia” but also “articulates nostalgia” [22]. The restaurateur(X1) from Bangalore, who owns a Kerala restaurant specializing in Malabar dishes and beyond, draws inspiration from his sense of nostalgia. The restaurant serves the fish delicacies such as Alleppey meen curry and meen mulagithattu (Malabar fish curry) (see Fig. 4). The restaurant’s name is a nod to a neighboring family from his ancestral house in Kerala. X1 explains how his childhood memories influenced both the name of the restaurant and the menu:

My neighbors were Muslim families... I was really, really influenced by the kind of food they made. Especially the non-veg and- the meats and the fish, the way they made it… I call her Umma, just like her own kids call her Umma. [X1]

Fig. 4

a Alleppey meen curry is famous for its rich flavor and soft texture, served with rice. The fish is coated with a special mix for a tangy and hot taste. This coastal delicacy is from Alappuzha district, Kerala. b Meen Mulagithattu also known as Malabari meen curry is a dish from the Malabar coastal region of Kerala. Malabar tamarind is used for the sour taste

In “History and Memory: Arguing for Authenticity in the Stories of Brunswick Stew,” Carrie Helms Tippen explores the use of food as a rhetoric tool in both “personal memory” and “public history.” Thus, memory plays a crucial role in foodways, as people continuously reproduce the past through their repeated yet distinct adaptations or preparation methods [30]. When Participant X2 had to recreate the Shappile meen curry recipe in Bangalore, he did not hesitate to draw upon his culinary roots (see Fig. 5). He says:

I am very scared of putting the spice because I love spice, but I don't know how my guests react to it, so I kept the spiciness level in a medium range so that everyone can have it…..but usually, I will have spice like my mom used to make it. [X2]

Fig. 5

Shappile meen curry with kappa (Tapioca) recreated at Live Kitchen Studio in Bangalore. This is a toddy shop delicacy in Kerala served with steamed tapioca mixed with spicy coconut paste

Participant X2 recalls how his mother made meen curry when he had to present the dish to non-Keralites. The kitchen has traditionally been a space for women of the household, and the phrase often used to emphasize a dish’s “authenticity” is “the way mother made it.” The term Amma or Umma [X1] has been leveraged in the food industry to attract customers invoking authenticity. As Tulasi Srinivas argues in her work titled, “As Mother Made It’-The Cosmopolitan Indian Family,” “fuelled by a ‘narrative of anxiety’ over ‘authentic’ foods—” as mother made them”—the act of eating is transformed into a performance of “gastro-nostalgia” that attempts to create “a cultural Utopia of ethnic India-ness” [25].

The narratives and memories surrounding anxieties of motherhood and the politics of family in India shape the cultural content of the food served. The restaurant owned by Participant X1 in Bangalore specializes in niche cuisines and addresses a demand by introducing lesser-known foods and culinary traditions to the city's diverse clientele. The restaurant has also included a variety of Kerala delicacies to further familiarize customers with these dishes. Participant X1 explains:

We have Alleppey fish curry in our menu…, which non-Malayalees are familiar with, because they have been to Alleppey. They have tasted it…then the acceptability becomes adapted, acceptability becomes much easier. [X1]

Cambridge Dictionary defines “authenticity” as “the quality of being real or true.” Participant X1 believes that familiar dishes like Alappuzha Fish Curry and Duck Curry help establish the authenticity of the cuisine, as the foreigners are familiar with Alappuzha, a renowned tourist destination in Kerala. Hence, the dishes from the main tourist attractions of Kerala are gradually becoming the authentic taste of the diverse foodways of Kerala. Apart from Alleppey meen curry, the restaurant also provides shappile meen curry (Toddy Shop Fish Curry). Thus, it can be said that “…authenticity is social and personal and hence unfixed, subjective and variable” [31].

Identity and Authenticity

The need to preserve the traditional food, old cooking methods, and identity of the community has led to the rise of food exhibitions, food tourism, cooking reality shows, and more. For instance, Kerala is named as one of the ten paradises by National Geographic Traveler and has maintained its identity and culinary traditions through the government initiative known as Kerala Tourism. The local newspaper Mathrubhumi reported that “…the government seeks to attract tourists by promoting Kerala cuisine and toddy through local toddy shops” [32]. As part of the policy, the regulations on toddy collection have been re-evaluated, and public eateries now convert leftover toddy into other products such as vinegar.

Participant X3 is the owner of Mathuruka Kallu Shaapu (Model Toddy Shop) in Kerala. In Malayalam, toddy, known as “Kallu,” is served in “Kallu Shaapu” which means toddy shops. Toddy, a fermented palm juice made from the sap of various palm tree species, including tar, palmyra, or coconut palm, is used as an alcoholic beverage [33].

Participant X3 explains the Kerala Government’s latest policy on toddy and the significance of Mathuruka Kallu Shaapu:

…it means a range of toddy shops will be selected by the exercise department. There should be food and washroom facilities, and everything included is called a Mathruka Kallu Shaapu. [X3]

The interior design of this Mathuruka Kallu Shaapu is modeled to showcase the culture and history of the location through photographs and related information. This feature is unique to Kallu Shaaps that have been remodeled in accordance with the latest government policy. In contrast, the older Kallu Shaaps were small shops with tiled roofs and minimal facilities. The new model attracts tourists and women, a significant shift from the traditionally male-dominated spaces.

According to Participant X3, the menu at his Mathuruka Kallu Shaapu had remained unchanged since its inception. Apart from toddy, the Kallu Shaapu serves 65 dishes made from beef, chicken, fish, seafood, tapioca, etc. This cuisine has long been popular with locals and tourists. Toddy shop fish curry or Shaapile meen curry is a traditional delicacy that is spicier and has thicker gravy than homemade fish curry to adjust the taste buds of daily toddy drinkers. The foreigners who visit this toddy shop use a technique called kizhi kazhikal. He explains,

…foreigners have the practice of kizhi kazhikal. When they eat beef, half a glass of water will be kept aside. They will dip the beef in water and have it… to mild down the spice. [X3] Here the foreigners who are in search of authentic local food comes to the Toddy Shop as a appropriate way of appreciating the food and the presentation of food as an adventure to a strange and exotic land known as ‘performance of authenticity’ argued by Tulasi Srinivas [24].

Participant X3 ensures that the traditional nadan (local) dishes are prominently featured in his toddy shop, just as they were in the past. He uses old recipes passed down from the previous cooks to preserve both the culinary traditions and the identity of these dishes. He says,

…there is no change in the cooking process from the past. We buy chilly and coriander, dry it, and powder it…. Masala is also specially prepared…we use mixy (grinder) to make powder. Earlier, Ural (Mortar) was used to grind…everything is cooked in coconut oil; we don't use any other oils. [X3]

In modern times, Participant X3 preserves the identity of his dishes by adhering to the old recipes (Fig. 6). In the absence of old traditional cookware and tools like Ural (mortar) and Ulakka (pestle), he uses new tools such as electric grinder to prepare the dish, thus maintaining the authenticity of his culinary traditions through available means. He believes that there are fewer people who know the traditional flavors and foodways. Hence, he hires the cooks' family who has passed down these heirloom recipes through generations, to preserve the identity and authenticity of the food.

Fig. 6

Source: author

Shappile meen curry from Mathuruka Kallu Shaapu in Kerala. This dish is spicier than other Meen Curries in Kerala.

Culinary Memory and Familial Identity

Preserving the traditional culinary practices, foodways, and recipes passed down from earlier generations plays a crucial role in constructing identity. Participants X4 and X5 preserve the identity of their village where they grew up through the dishes they cook at home. Participant X4 learned to cook from her mother. Most importantly, she would visit the kitchens of cultural events in her locality to learn recipes from the head cooks. She recalls that cultural events such as boat races and weddings provided a space to acquire culinary skills from the kitchen. Being from a village near the Periyar River, she proudly states that she cooks meen curry differently from the other regions in Kerala (Fig. 7a). Her family practices cage fish farming behind their house, where they use fishnet tied to the empty drums to form a cage partially submerged in the river. Kalanchi (giant perch) is the most common harvest in this region. Participant X4 reported:

…the meen curry recipe I learned from my ancestors, especially from my mother...They (other regions) sauté shallots and dry chilies at the beginning before putting fish in the chatti. Instead, I add shallots and dry chilies as a seasoning after adding coconut milk and fish. Nowadays, no one does it; they don’t know this recipe. [X4]

Fig. 7

a Meen curry prepared by Participant X4, in a traditional way. This recipe is seldom used among the new generation. b After moving to husband’s residence, Participant X5 preserves memories of her hometown through meen curry

Similarly, Participant X5 never forgot her culinary roots when she moved to her husband’s hometown after marriage. Even today, she follows the meen curry recipe; her mother taught her even though this recipe is uncommon in her husband’s household (see Fig. 7b). In her husband’s hometown, meen curry is cooked with creamy coconut milk to form thick, creamy gravy. Participant X5 reported:

I learned my recipe from my grandmother when I stayed with her for years during my studies. When I came to my husband’s house, they added coconut milk to the curry, which was never easy for me to cook. So, I decided to stick to my version of cooking. [X5]

Participant X6 recalls learning to cook from her mother. She uses raw mangoes or chemeen pulli for a tangy flavor, while she prepares meen curry. The term chemeen translates to “prawns,” as the fruit resembles the shape of prawns. Chemeen pulli is known by different names in each state and is called bilimbi in English. Participant X6 reported:

Chemeen pulli and manga (mangoes) are seasonal. When it is not available we use tamarind because it is easy to dry and store…I have heard that tomato sauce is used to cook fish and prawns in house boats for the tourists. That is not how we cook in our house. We prepare thenga aracha meen curry (fish cooked in coconut paste). [X6]

In her Alappuzha style fish curry, she adds ground coconut paste which is a mixture of chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, and fenugreek powder with grated coconut.

Culinary traditions and foodways influence family identity and our lives [5, 34, 35]. Here, participants X4, X5, and X6 uphold their familial identity and culinary memories through the recipes they learned from their ancestors and by preparing the dishes for the coming generations. Moisio et al., in their article titled, “Between Mothers and Markets: Constructing Family Identity through Homemade Food,” argue that family identity is intertwined with shared food consumption and by preserving the uniqueness and authenticity of homemade food [9]. Similarly, participants X4, X5, and X6 have preserved their familial identity through the meen curry recipes that has been part of their childhood memories, passed down from their ancestors, in order to preserve the authenticity of the dish. A sense of nostalgia and belonging is reflected in their use of recipes to recreate familial identity and re-establish a connection to their hometown.

Conclusion

The study examines the authenticity of Kerala meen curry by exploring its culinary traditions, cultural memory, and familial identity. The study also reviews and evaluates the meaning of “authenticity” in relation to meen curry in Kerala. To achieve this, the study collects and analyzes participants’ understanding of authenticity from various perspectives, using thematic analysis and conceptual framework. The study reveals that different communities in Kerala have their own distinct methods of preparing meen curry, indicating that “authenticity” of Kerala meen curry is both variable and subjective. This culinary identity and tradition are preserved through nostalgia, familial recipes, and cultural events. Therefore, no single variety of meen curry can be termed as the “authentic” meen curry of Kerala. The study contributes to current academic knowledge on authenticity by exploring how a community or individual perceives the authenticity of food, and suggests that this perspective may be applicable to other societies or cuisines for future research. Through incorporating evidences from interviews and cooking demonstrations, the study contributes to the academic discourse on identity formation, culinary heritage, and nostalgia through food.

On the other hand, tourists and foreigners play an important role in the evolution of authentic food. The meen curry varieties from famous tourist spots are becoming the most known and “authentic” dish among them. Moreover, as globalization boosted the food economy, anyone can enjoy an “authentic” meen curry from anywhere in the world. Lynne Phillip, an anthropologist, and expert in food studies, in her work titled “Food and Globalization,” talks about the “crooked pathways'” that the food travels on to become a commodity on a global scale [36]. Apart from globalization, heirloom recipes, cooking methods learned from mothers, and cultural events play an important role in maintaining familial identity, culinary traditions, and cultural memory.