Why food?

So you may be wondering, why food? What can food really tell us about a place? A lot. Examining a countries food preferences can give us insight into not only the cultural customs of the people but also to the environment, climate and agricultural practices of that region.

Let's take a look at what food and agricultural practices can tell us about India. 

Culture of Food Preferences 

Taboo: A taboo is " a restriction on behavior imposed by social custom" (Rubenstein, 88). Religion dictates many food taboos. For example, for those who practice Hinduism, "eating cows is prohibited, as it is thought of as God's useful gift to mankind since it provides dairy products and is the basis for other products". Here is an article that shares some basic information about food taboos around the world. 

                              

Diet 

Diet is determined by a combination of the following: level of development, physical conditions, and cultural preferences. 

• Level of development:  "People in developed countries tend to consume more food and from different sources than do people in developing countries" (Rubenstein, 223).  India is a developing country. 
• Physical Conditions:  "Climate is important in influencing what can be most easily grown and therefore consumed in developing countries" (223).  Below is a climatic zone map of India. India has great diversity in climate, ranging from montane (mountainous), to tropical, to arid.                                                                                             

• Cultural Preferences: "Some food preferences and avoidances are expressed without regard for physical and economic factors" (223).  (e.g. the food taboo discussed above) 

Food and Nutrition in India: Interpretations and Facts 

This article, published by Princeton, provides a comprehensive overview and analysis of food and nutrition in India over the last 25 years. The publication includes several excellent maps, graphs and charts that provide information about: rural calorie consumption, calories from cereals, percentage of households reporting lack of food etc. This is a really wonderful resource, please take a look! 

Resources:

Deaton, A. & Dreze, J. (2009). Food and nutrition in India: facts and interpretations.  Economic and Political Weekly, vol 44, (no 7). Retrieved from https://www.princeton.edu/~deaton/downloads/Food_and_Nutrition_in_India_Facts_and_Interpretations.pdf 

Rubenstein, J. M. (2010). Contemporary human geography. Prentice Hall: Glenview, IL. 

Welcome to India!

Hey folks!


Sorry for the long lapse in posting. It was a crazy busy week! But I'm back. And now we're off to India. Over the next week we will delve into different parts of Indian geography and culture.
This week I made delicious Indian food! I'm no stranger to cooking Indian food-it's usually a weekly occurrence at my house. My mother-in-law is from Nellore, a city in the South Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. I was told, when I got married, I'd have to learn how to make at least a few dishes :) Fortunately for me it's my favorite type of food!
My mother-in-law is from a Brahman family: they are strictly vegetarian. Most of the Indian food I cook is vegetarian (my husband eats meat so we sometimes make chicken curry or chicken vindaloo).
On to the recipes!



Indian cuisine varies greatly depending on state, region, religion, and caste. Telegu cuisine is incredibly spicy (supposedly the spiciest of all Indian foods- I know from experience :) ) Andhra cuisine is mostly vegetarian, though there are those who eat meat as well as seafood because of it's close proximity to the Bay of Bengal. Cuisine is heavily spiced and utilizes dal (lentils), tomatoes, and tamarind flavors. 

Vegetable Korma

Ingredients: 

1 small yellow onion, diced                                                    Coconut oil (or veg oil)                                                                                      

4 cooking potatoes, cubed                                                       1 tablespoon  minced fresh ginger

1 bag of frozen carrots and peas                                            salt (to taste-you'll need a lot!)

1/2 bag of frozen cauliflower                                                  4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and sliced                  2 teaspoons black mustard seeds
1 tablespoon minced ginger                                                   2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 teaspoon turmeric                                                                    1 tablespoon garam masala (more or less to taste) 
1 14 oz. can of whole tomatoes                                               1 tablespoon salt (more or less to taste)
1 cup heavy cream 

Prep work: 
Dice onion
Cube potato (bite size piece)
Create ginger garlic paste-put garlic gloves and minced ginger and a little bit of water in a blender or food processor-blend until paste like) 
Blend whole tomatoes in blender or food processor (keep tomato liquid) 

1. In a thick bottom pot, heat a tablespoon of olive oil or coconut oil. Add the cumin and mustard seeds to the oil (on medium-low heat), moving constantly to not burn. When the mustard seeds begin to pop, add the onions. After about 3 minutes add the ginger garlic paste, the excess water will cook off. Mix the ginger garlic paste and onions well.

2. When the onions are translucent, add the cubed potatoes. Add turmeric, mix turmeric, potatoes, and onions well. Add about a cup of water (this well help the potatoes soften).Let cook for about 10 minutes. 

3. When the potatoes are soft, add the tomato puree. Add the garam masala and salt (more or less depending on taste- I typically add extra cardamom, cumin, and coriander b/c my husband does not like heavy clove flavor). Stir well.  Let simmer for a few minutes. 

4. Add frozen vegetables. Cover and let simmer for 10 minutes. 

5. Slowly add the heavy cream (more or less depending on how tomato-ey you like the korma), be sure to stir constantly so that it does not curdle. Taste for spice. If needed, add more salt and garam masala. 

6. Serve with jasmine  rice or  chapati . Garnish with coriander leaves (cilantro).

Often people use cashew paste rather than heavy cream. I am allergic to nuts so I am not able to do this. Also, I tend to cook this food without a recipe, so I do  a lot of "to taste". Experiment! Have fun! As my Amma says "Indian food is supposed to easy, healthy, and economical."  Use what you have and be flexible. :) 

Pachadi 

(I'm trying to upload a picture of the many jars of pachadi I have in my fridge but it's not working)
Pachadi ( or pickle) is a quintessential Andhra Pradesh food. Pachadi is a mix of heavily spiced pickled vegetables  or fruits. Pickling fruits and vegetables is a great way of preserving them from the heat and extending their shelf life but also a way to ensure that no fruit or vegetable goes to waste. In a place, where historically, famine and hunger are very prevalant, pachadi makes excellent use of scarce resources. Pachadi is eaten mixed in with rice, rice and yogurt, or spread on idli, naan, or chapati. 

Random post of a super cool map

I stumbled across this SUPER cool map the other day. It's called the Racial Dot Map. The racial dot map uses data from the 2010 Census to show the racial distribution of people in the United States. One dot equals one person. You can manipulate and zoom in on the map. It's pretty amazing. Do you notice any general trends? Are you surprised by anything?

I know this is an unrelated post but it was too cool not to share! Up next (hopefully tomorrow).... we journey to India! Specifically the southeastern state of Andhra Pradesh!

Folk and Popular Music of Turkey

"As music is a part of both folk and popular culture traditions, it can be sued to illustrate differences in the origins and diffusion of folk and popular culture" (Rubenstein, 82). 

Folk Music 

Folk music is of particular interest to geographers. Folk music provides insight to the daily activities and cultural values of a people group. Typically passed down orally from one generation to the next, folk music may change slightly over time to reflect the current live and values of that generation. Folk music provides an oral history of the migration, values, and daily life of people. 

"The Turks who migrated to Anatolia brought their traditional folk music with them. This music expressed the feelings and beliefs of nomads who sang about love, sorrow and happiness" (Kneib, 86). 

I found a great resource Purdue University. Follow this link and scroll down to the section on Turkish Folk Music.  They have some really high quality recordings of Turkish folk songs organized by region.  There is also a lot of other great information about Turkey on this page.

                     

Popular Music 

"Popular music is written by specific individuals for the purpose of being sold to a large number of people" (Rubenstein, 83). 

Sources: 

Kneib, M. (2004). Turkey: A primary source cultural guide. The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc. : New York, NY. 

Rubenstein, J. M. (2010). Contemporary human geography. Prentice Hall: Glenview, IL. 

http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~turkiye/Turkiye.html

Folk Culture in Turkey

Geographers define culture as "the body of material traits, customary beliefs, and social forms that together constitute the distinct  tradition of a group of people" (Rubenstein, 80).  Geographers are interested in culture because it informs the way humans interact with Earth and each other and it can reveal similarities and connections between different countries (migration, assimilation). 

Folk Culture: Kina Gecesi 

"traditionally practiced primarily by small, homogeneous groups living in isolated rural areas" (81).

A few days before my wedding, my dear friend Summeye, hosted a henna night for me at the Turkish Cultural Center in Pittsburgh, PA. It was a wonderful evening that gave me the opportunity to participate in a part of Turkish folk culture. 

A henna night (Kina Gecesi) is a religious, folk  ceremony in Turkey, that is traditionally held the day before the wedding. "It is a ceremony steeped in history and folklore, in which the family of the bride-to-be gives her away to the family of the groom". During the ceremony, the bride wears an ornately decorated robe, called a bindallı, and a red veil over her face. 

(Me wearing a bindallı)

Traditionally friends and family of the bride and groom participate in the ceremony.  All women in attendance carry a small candle and decorative cloth in each hand during the henna ceremony.

(Friends of mine carrying candles and sequined fabric)

With her friends and family forming a line, the bride walks into the room and sits in a chair placed in the center of the room. The lights are turned out and the friends and family form a circle around the bride.

(My friends walking in a circle around me) 

Then the  women walk around her singing a Turkish folk song: (English translation)

They shouldn't build homes on the high hills

They shouldn't give girls to faraway cities

They shouldn't upset the mother's one and only

May the birds carry the message

I miss my mother

Both my mother and father

I miss my village

I wish my father had a horse, he could jump on it and come

I wish my mother had a sail, she could open it and come

May the birds carry the message

I miss my mother 

Both my mother and father 

Traditionally, the best friend of the bride, carries a copper tray with candles and a pot filled with henna. She places a large dot of henna and a coin in the palm of the bride's left hand. She then covers the bride's hand with a red, silk bag. Now the bride is ready to go with her new family. 

(Henna time!)

Here is a recording of the henna night song, Yüksek Yüksek Tepelere. 

(It's totally okay if you feel the tears coming during this song... the bride is supposed to cry during this song, if not they will keep singing until she does). 

Links: Here is a link to an article about the "new-urban" henna night. It's pretty long but if you'e really curious about this modernization of this traditional, folk custom... enjoy :) 

Sources:  

Rubenstein, J. M. (2010). Contemporary human geography. Prentice Hall: Glenview, IL. 

Kneib, M. (2004). Turkey: A primary source cultural guide. The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc. : New York, NY. 

Maps! Maps! Maps! (of Turkey)

Human geographers use a variety of tools to understand where a place is. Maps are one of them. Geographers use different maps to highlight different features of a place. What can we learn about Turkey from the following maps?


Turkey on a world map

Geographers us world maps, like this 3D rendering of the Earth, to understand where a place is in the context of the world. From this map we can see that Turkey is North of Africa, it is bordered by a least two oceans etc. Geographers use this map to gain a broad, general understanding of where Turkey is.

Turkey on a map with latitude and longitude

Geographers also use the geographic grid, "a system of imaginary arcs drawn in a grid pattern on Earth's surface", to describe where a place is (Rubenstein, 10). This map contains parallels, lines that run east to west (latitude) and meridians, lines that run north to south (longitude). Turkey is located at Sometimes geographers use latitude and longitude to describe the geographic location of a place. Turkey is located at 39.9167° N, 32.8333° E.  Latitude and longitude provide very specific information about geographic location. 





                                     

Turkey and its neighboring countries

                              

Geographers also use political maps to talk about geographic location. Political maps show state and political boundaries. From this map, we can see that Turkey is bordered by Greece, Bulgaria, Syria, Iraq, Armenia, Iran, and Georgia.



                                       


This political map highlights not only state and political boundaries but also continent boundaries. This gives us a key detail about Turkey's geographic location that has not been apparent on the other maps. Turkey is located in both Europe and Asia.  About 3% of Turkey is located west of the Bosphorus strait, a strip of water that divides Europe from Asia. This part of Turkey is known as Thrace. The remaining 97% percent of Turkey, to the East of the strait, is in Asia. This much larger section of Turkey is known as Anatolia. 


Geographers also render topographic maps, climate maps, regional maps, and city maps. (and many more!)

What else can you learn about Turkey from these maps?

Helpful Links: Check out this interactive map of Turkey from National Geographic!

Sources: Rubenstein, J. M. (2010). Contemporary human geography. Prentice Hall: Glenview, IL. 

Welcome to Turkey

I decided to start my culinary adventure in Turkey. As a half Turk (and very proud of it), I have a soft spot for Turkish culture and cuisine. Last night, I made one of my favorite foods: börek. Börek is a very popular and versatile Turkish food. Some of my fondest and most special memories of my büyükanne (Turkish for Grandmother) are of her sitting, brushing layer after layer of phyllo dough with butter and filling the middle with a delicious cheese, spinach and onion mixture. Making this kind of börek is an incredibly labor intensive process. Last night, I opted for something a little simpler but no less delicious.

I followed a recipe from The Turkish Cookbook. The cookbook is organized into regions: this recipe is from Gümüşhane, a city in the Black Sea region.

Spinach and Egg Börek

“It is said that no Turkish girl should marry before mastering the art of making these pastries” –Nur Ilkin

Dough:                                                Filling:                                                                     

1 1/3 cups of flour                              2 tablespoons of butter, melted

1 teaspoon sea salt                              2 medium onions, finely chopped

½ to ¾ cup of water                            1 ½ pounds baby spinach leaves (I used frozen, chopped                                                                         spinach)

                                                            Freshly ground pepper

                                                            2 large eggs, lightly beaten

     Place the flour and salt in a large bowl and mix well. Slowly start adding the water, mixing and kneading well to make a smooth dough. Divide the dough into egg-sized pieces, roll them into balls, and place them on a plate. Cover and let stand for 30 minutes.

     In a large skillet, heat the butter and sauté the onions until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add spinach and sauté for another 5 minutes, mixing well. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then add beaten eggs. Cook, stirring until mixture resembles scrambled eggs. Remove from heat and cool. [I added feta cheese to the mixture after it cooled].

     On a lightly floured surface, roll out the balls into rounds [the recipe says 10 inch rounds, but this was way too large-think pierogi sized]. Place a spoonful of the filling in the right side of the rolled dough, spreading it all over the right half. Fold the left side of the circle over the filling (making a half moon or “D” shape) and gently press with your fingertips or fork tines to seal the edges together tightly. Repeat.

     Heat a large nonstick pan and cook boerek for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until golden brown. Brush with melted butter and place on a serving platter. Serve hot. – The Turkish Cookbook, Nur Ilkin and Sheilah Kaufman   (pictures of my borek to come!)

Here is an article from NPR about borek. Included is a recipe for cigar borek (my Grandmother used to make these as well).