260850 Tue Jan 29 21:37:05 -0800 2002 5 26 International 0 1378465 Scrolling endlessly through the posts on this board in search of info on restaurants in India (no, not Indian restaurants in London!) I came across a year-old message from Howler regarding the hunt for Jewish food in Cochin. As I'll be there next week, I'm wondering if I can score any recommendations? I'll be there for about 5 days and would love to taste what the Keralan members of the Tribe have to offer. Reco's for Bombay also gratefully accepted! Tue Jan 29 21:37:05 -0800 2002 0 Julie 1 1378470 you are out of luck - as was i. there are twenty odd jews left - most went to israel after indias independence. there are no restaurants, but once in a while you'll find something on a menu somewhere. Wed Jan 30 05:19:31 -0800 2002 1378465 0 howler 2 1378473 Rats. Well, when my sister and I roll into town that will make 22 Jews. Maybe they'll have a party for us. Thanks for getting back to me so quickly! Any tips for Bombay, by the way? Wed Jan 30 08:59:18 -0800 2002 1378470 0 Julie 3 1378483 When I was there last summer, I was invited by several for Shabbat lunch after services. Although admittedly the food was nothing special, it was a wonderful experience. Most of the culinary traditions have died along with the bulk of Cochin's Indian population. However, I was able to buy a cookbook with many traditional recipes that had been written a number of years ago. Also, I was told that there is a hotel that has been gathering the old recipes and integrating them into their menu. Apparently they were able to copy them from the now-deceased matriarch of the community. I can't recall the name of the hotel, but it lies directly on the water, not too far from Fort Cochin. Its a small luxury hotel, fairly new I think, and I bet a quick search would turn up the name. Wed Jan 30 15:49:36 -0800 2002 1378473 0 Helen Springut 4 1378618 A few of the hotel-restaurants in Fort Cochin (Malabar House I think and some of the other luxury ones)serve "Jewish-Cochin" food. In general the food in Cochin is great, especially the sea food. If you in in Bombay, go to teh synagogue on Fri. night, or Sat. and you are bound to get an invitation for dinner/lunch. Thu Feb 07 08:35:31 -0800 2002 1378483 0 Yossi Weinstock 5 1378689 Thanks Helen and Yossi. I am on my way back to the US now (sitting in the BA lounge at Heathrow) and I can report that Cochin-Jewish cuisine was rather thin on the ground in Cochin. I stayed for 5 days at the Taj Malabar, where we ate plenty of stupendous food, but nothing that was identified as Cochin-Jewish. Also ate at the seafood restaurant at the Casino hotel, which was OK but not fabulous. I was at a conference there, so didn't have much opportunity to explore other restaurants during my stay. The Jewish population of Cochin is down to 13 souls, according to the synagogue caretaker. While my sister, my colleague, and I were there, we boosted the Jewish population by quite a sizeable percentage. It didn't seem like anyone was that keen to invite us over for dinner, unfortunately. I do love Keralan food (and South Indian in general). The coconut-laden dishes in Kerala are so tasty, and I'm sure so unhealthy, but I don't care. After 5 days of packing it in three meals a day, I am ALMOST satisfied. Sun Feb 10 05:25:22 -0800 2002 1378618 0 Julie