We embarked on a delicious journey with a group of curious children, each from diverse backgrounds, eager to explore the world of food and freedom. Our session was filled with laughter, learning, and a buffet of fake food like mutton curry, beef, chicken burger, veg thali, fish fry, fish head curry, etc. that sparked some interesting conversations.
In anticipation of Goa Kranti Din, celebrated on 18th June, a series of four sessions were scheduled in each of our libraries, which focused on the four main topics of Personal Freedom, Freedom of Speech, Social Freedom and Political Freedom.
At Bookworm’s third centre, the Vinay & Jean Kalgutkar Community Centre, Saligao, we decided to explore the theme Personal Freedom by focussing on the Freedom of Food. We started by talking about children’s favourite dishes. Initially, they named common favourites like Pizza, Biryani, and Fried-rice. Then we nudged them to think more personally: What is your favourite home-cooked food? That brought out a beautiful shift and answers like Dosa, Fish Head Curry (which was also on our fake buffet table!), Sorpotel, Teccha and bhakri, Dal-rice, Mutton, Idli, and even cheesecake prepared by one’s mother.
The next prompt was a fake buffet, a table filled with images of various foods, from burgers to curries. Children were invited to walk around, observe, and write their names next to dishes they would like to eat. Unsurprisingly, the chicken burger was the most popular. However, I had intentionally placed Beef and Chicken Burgers together to observe reactions, and the responses were revealing with the majority choosing chicken over beef. Some avoided beef and pork, explaining that it wasn’t cooked in their homes due to cultural or religious reasons.For example:
Child A shared that her family doesn’t eat beef or pork because of their cultural background and Child B mentioned that certain meats are not eaten at home. While Child C was curious about pork, which she’s never eaten, and wondered why her family avoids it, Child D shared that she only chose foods she eats at home, avoiding ‘restaurant-style’ dishes.
Interestingly, no one chose onion or garlic, which also opened up new avenues of discussion around food preferences and practices, revealing intriguing insights into their cultural preferences and family traditions.
The conversation then shifted to the concept of freedom. When asked what freedom meant to them, the children offered thoughtful answers drawn from their lived experiences. Here are some responses:
- Doing what you want to do
- Freedom from studies
- Freedom to ask anything in the family
- Freedom about the country
We tied these ideas back to freedom of choice of food. Here, once again, personal and cultural boundaries surfaced. Children reflected on how their food habits were shaped by family, religion, and home practices like Child A’s family not consuming beef or pork and Child C’s curiosity about why her family avoids pork. It wasn’t always clear to them why they ate or didn’t eat certain foods and that curiosity sparked thoughtful discussion.
Further discussion on sharing food at school brought in class and social dynamics. Children said they often sit with friends and sometimes share their tiffins. However, some acknowledged that children often eat with others from similar backgrounds, hinting at how social divisions subtly play out even during lunch breaks.
We also touched upon eating practices like sitting on the floor or eating with hands which some said they only do at home. Child E mentioned using her hands for certain foods, but others felt shy doing so in public, suggesting how cultural practices are sometimes silenced outside the home.
Reading the books “Pongal” by Bama and “Head Curry” by Mohammed Khadeer Babu opened up new worlds. The group reading Pongal initially missed the core theme, but a discussion with two children who had read it before helped everyone grasp the story. Pongal as a festival and food were both new to the group. They felt nice to know the two meanings of the same word. One child asked why they have to give leftover food to the people belonging to the lower caste, adding if this really happens? The Head Curry group didn’t finish the book but understood that it focused on Muslim cultural food practices. When asked if they felt reluctant to read Head Curry, two said yes. The detailed description of preparing ram heads, including cleaning intestines made them feel like not continuing to read. One child mentioned that they do not eat head curry in their family, while another child said that it is prohibited in their religion and so does not eat. One of the children however, found it completely normal and unproblematic and said that they eat head mutton in their families.
We then invited the children to write their favourite secret recipe on slips of paper to create a handmade accordion book. Though hesitant at first, once assured their recipes wouldn’t be posted publicly, they wrote enthusiastically. Some of the recipes which the children wrote were pig roast curry, pig fry, gobi fry, dry beef curry, beef roast, etc.
We ended the session with a short video clip from Dalit Kitchens of Marathwada by Shahu Patole.
Child D was excited to recognize the blue fruit from the video and shared that he had eaten it too, as had I during my childhood. Child F questioned why anyone would eat some of the unfamiliar vegetables shown. This sparked a conversation around food hierarchy and perceptions of what is acceptable and what is considered unusual food.
This journey through food and freedom was not just about tasting or reading but about understanding and appreciating the diverse cultures and traditions that shape our culinary world. As we wrapped up, children were thrilled to see the book, Dalit Kitchens of Marathwada on display and left with books in hand, ready to explore more about the world of food and freedom, an encouraging sign of curiosity continuing beyond the session.