C hennai’s jallikattu protests have splintered into a dizzying array of causes. You can cherry-pick from the buffet before raising your flag and brandishing your banner — there’s everything from banning multinational companies to championing local cows.
Let’s discount the fact that many of these fiery calls to arms are made by Facebook warriors who wouldn’t recognise an indigenous cow even if it stood on their foot. And, let’s not get carried away by the blizzard of WhatsApp forwards on the virtues of A2 milk, which, if social media is to be believed, can cure all ailments, end world hunger and heal the planet. Even if you discount all the hyperbole, there are some interesting lessons to be learnt from the issue. And, it begins with those cows.
About five years ago, I listened to celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar explain why everyone should find a way to source milk from local instead of Jersey cows. She explained how they are suited for Indian conditions and are, therefore, hardier and healthier. The kitty party crowd shrugged — it just seemed like too much work.
For those of you still asking why this matters, let me put it this way. If you’re a junk food junkie, imagine a world with just one type of candy. Nothing but marshmallows everywhere you look. Breaking into a cold sweat? Now, let’s look at the issue of protecting indigenous food again.
Slow food, an eco-gastronomic movement, has been fighting what it calls the “homogenisation of food,” and, thereby, the homogenisation of taste, since it was launched in Italy in 1986. Much of the food flooding the world today has no history, tradition or cultural identity. It’s florid with flavour, thanks to a clever mesh of fat, salt and sugar. But, this is not just about chips, cola and cookies. Mass-produced food also comes in the form of fruits and vegetables. Like apples selectively bred for sweetness, longevity and easy transport.
One of Slow Food’s most fascinating projects is the Ark of Taste, a catalogue of small-scale quality products from vegetables and animal breeds to cheese. The Ark, inspired by the biblical Noah’s Ark, aims at drawing attention to the risk of their extinction within a few generations. There are currently 4,000 products on it from around the world, some so obscure that you have probably never heard of them before.
India has 106 products on the Ark. Ever heard of the Aieichoum white bean from Nagaland? Sweeter than most bean varieties, it’s associated with the Khiamniungan people. It’s being replaced by imported hybrid bean varieties. There is the Tit khyndong hati, a mushroom grown in the Jaintia hills. With a unique taste and powerful aroma, it’s prized by the local community, but is disappearing as forests are being destroyed for industry. From Rajasthan, there’s bathua, an ancient plant related to amaranth, spinach and beetroot. The leaves are high in minerals, Vitamin A and B complex. Commonly eaten in homes till about 30 years ago, it’s now rare because very few people grow it commercially.
It’s the same story across the world. In Algeria, they’re losing m’ziyet, a black couscous prepared with fermented barley and fermented in pits, sometimes for several years. A traditional food, it’s symbolic of the culinary heritage of Constantine’s region. In Russia, it’s milk vodka, made from khoitpak (fermented sour milk) by using time-tested processes by the people of the Tuva, who breed native yaks, cows and goats.
Which brings us back to cattle. In Angola, they’re trying to save Humbe. In Argentina, it’s the gentle Criollo cow, whose origins can reportedly be traced back to the first cattle brought by Christopher Columbus on his second voyage in 1493. In France, it’s Villard de Lans cattle, officially recognised in 1864, and known for creamy milk that’s made into Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage cheese.
So far, in India, the Hallikar breed from Karnataka is on board the Ark. The cattle, which graze in the wild, are renowned for the ghee made from their nutritious milk. Today, the breed faces a risk of extinction, thanks to interbreeding and hybridisation. Then, there’s Siri, found in Darjeeling and Sikkim. These strong cattle are one of the original breeds from the Eastern Himalayas. Their milk forms a part of local cuisine and is used to make chhurpi, the chewy local cheese. Extensive cross-breeding with Jersey bulls is eroding the purity of the breed.
Here’s a useful takeaway from the whole jallikattu issue. If we are so keen on protecting indigenous breeds, let’s first make an effort to learn more about them. Then, as consumers, demand local produce. Vote with our forks.
Our money is powerful. In today’s world, more battles are won in supermarkets than on the field.
In: Kale chips. Resolved to eat better this year? Swap your potato chips with this.
Out: Cake in a mug. If you’re going to eat cake, do it properly. Ditch this microwaved mess.
