288440 Thu Feb 07 11:21:33 -0800 2002 12 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1556420 there are twenty something jewish people left in cochin, a city in kerala that brags about having the oldest jewish synagogue in asia outside israel. while that little factoid may or may not be true, it is indisputable that jewish settlers have been around for a long time, and were an important part of the pepper trade. with indian independence, the remaining small community upped and left for israel. whats left is it - and chowhound is about the only place on the web where you'll be able to discuss the cuisine of a soon to vanish branch of the diaspora. i'm amazed. Thu Feb 07 11:21:33 -0800 2002 0 howler 1 1556421 Actually, I disagree. Slow Food (see link below) is an International Organization that specifically looks at the economic and social patterns of the world and local communities. It earmarks culinary traditions, specific artisinal foods, and breeds of animals that may become extinct due to sociological trends. "The Ark metaphor is explicit: onto this symbolic ship, Slow Food intends to load gastronomic products threatened by industrial standardization, hyperhygienist legislation, the rules of the large-scale retail trade and the deterioration of the environment. The aim of the Ark of Taste is to rediscover, catalogue, describe and promote almost forgotten flavors, from violino di capra to the plum tomato of Corbara, from Caciocavallo podolico to bottarga di muggine, or mullet roe, and many others still - all products in danger of extinction but still alive, and with real productive and commercial potential." IMHO, a worthy organization that gets substantial donations from me to help in their endeavors. Link: http://www.slowfood.com/cgi-bin/SlowFood.dll/slowfood_com/scripts/default.jsp Thu Feb 07 11:29:52 -0800 2002 1556420 0 Stupid 1 1556423 on a semi-related note I came across the following link with interesting articles on the indian diaspora worldwide FWIW, I just searched slowfood.com for cochin - no matches Link: http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/southasia/Diaspora/diaspora.html Thu Feb 07 12:05:02 -0800 2002 1556420 0 zim 2 1556444 You may be interested in this fascinating link, which has some pictures of Indian synagogues and much, much more http://www.haruth.com/JewsoftheWorld.html Thu Feb 07 19:53:07 -0800 2002 1556423 0 Sandra Levine 1 1556440 If you go to what's left of the Jewish neighborhood,go into some of the small local shops and ask around-I was there a few years ago,and have a vague memory of a local home cook who people seemed to know about.It's a long shot,but if you're there anyway...There was also a really good bookstore in that neighborhood[can't remember the name either-it was owned and run by an Englishman who seemed to know the area well].Anyway,Cochin,and Kerala are wonderful..have a good trip. Thu Feb 07 17:39:57 -0800 2002 1556420 0 M.K. 1 1556445 I've wondered if Floyd Cardoz, the chef of Tabla came from one of the Indian Jewish communities. His last name strikes me as Sephardic and he talks about one of his grandmother's or mother's beef recipes as being like Indian pot roast! Thu Feb 07 19:57:12 -0800 2002 1556420 0 Sandra Levine 2 1556446 Indians are NOT Sephardic. Sephardic Jews are those who originated in Spain, kicked out during the inquisition, and settled in northern Africa and southern Europe. Nothing to do with India. The Indian Jewish community (except the Baghdadis) traces its roots all the way back to the Babylonian exile. Thu Feb 07 20:03:16 -0800 2002 1556445 0 Nina Wugmeister 3 1556518 I know thatIndians are not Sephardic. But, Cardoz is definitely a Sephardic name. Goa was a Portuguese colony. It is possible (I would say even likely) that the family were originally Sephardic Jews from Portugal. Sat Feb 09 12:48:28 -0800 2002 1556446 0 Sandra Levine 2 1556453 As far as I know, Floyd Cardoz is of Goanese background -- therefore Portuguese is somewhere in the lineage. Maybe his "pot roast" comment came from hanging around NYC for a while? Thu Feb 07 21:05:48 -0800 2002 1556445 0 Out-of-work Cook 1 1556483 You might be interested in a book, "Flowers in the Blood", by Gaye Martin (I think) which, although historical fiction, is based upon a family of Indian Jews. The story relates much of the history of Jews in India. I remember food being mentioned, as the story revolves around the family's tea and spice business. (Use the chowhound Amazon link to find this book). Fri Feb 08 14:07:11 -0800 2002 1556420 0 LBQT 1 1557521 Take a look at Copeland Mark's "Sephardic Cooking" and his "Varied Kitchens of India." I lived in Israel and had many Indian friends, and then had an Indian - Israeli boyfriend for 6 years (in NYC). There is a community of them in NYC. There are three types of these people, more or less: there are the Bene Israel, from Bombay, and they speak Marathi. Many of them are identifiable becaues their last names end in the syllable "ker" or "kar" . The Bene Israel cuisine is marvelous - it's what I cook the most. Then there are the Jews of Cochin. And there are the Jews of Calcutta, primarily Baghdadi. The cuisines are different. The Jewish community today in Israel is primarily Bene Israel (the largest component) - and it's a tight, close community, spread out over the country, but not in so many cities. The majority still does not marry outside the community, and the cooking traditions are serious and family-based. I learned from several older women - amazing stuff. I especially love the Jewish traditions that were mingled with the Indian ones, and have lasted in the Israeli Indian community. Mon Apr 29 02:18:51 -0700 2002 1556420 0 Nina Wugmeister 1 1557522 My husband and I spent about 9 days in Kerala late in July into early August just last year. It was still monsoon season, so travel even about the the town of Cochin was very difficult. We were there to learn about coconuts and cashews for a book that will be published by St. Martin's Press. We were terribly pressed for time,but did not want to turn down the last minute chance to go. Unfortunately, we never managed to find the synagogue open. And most of our time was heavily booked with interviews and such so we did not have the time to really hunt someone down. But, I can tell you that our visit there was totally extraordinary. People could not have been more welcoming. It is a very beautiful part of the world and we are very eager to return and really explore the waterways and the mountains. And the food is quite exceptional. I will encourage you to buy Savoring the Spice Coast of India by Maya Kaimal. It is a jewel of a cookbook and fascinating reading as well. Also, there is a marvelous young woman who does grand cooking demonstrations in her home for visitors. She is part of the Syrian Christian comunity and her food is light and marvelously flavorful. Her name is Nimmy Paul and she can be reached by e-mail : nimmypaul@bplnet.com I am very envious and hope you have a wonderful time. Mon Apr 29 02:20:42 -0700 2002 1556420 0 Linda Griffith 2 1557582 I just gone through a mesg about NimmyPaul the cooking teacher from Cochin her new Email Id is nimmypaul@vsnl.net regards Paul Fri Jun 03 23:50:47 -0700 2005 1557522 0 V J Paul