In the Beginning there was Bombay Duck - A Food History of Mumbai
Mumbai's food story is wonderfully tangled, woven together by fishermen, traders, refugees, and adventurers from across the globe. Pronoti Datta traces how the city became India's great gastronomic powerhouse, one dish at a time. Start with the Kolis, harvesting from local waters long before anyone wrote things down. Add the Pathare Prabhus, then countless others who arrived during centuries of British occupation or fled partition's upheaval, like the Sindhis. Each group left fingerprints on what Mumbai ate. Here's where it gets fascinating: locals proudly defend 'authentic' traditions, yet the vada pao itself (that beloved street snack) wouldn't exist without Portuguese traders bringing potatoes and Goans mastering the art of baking. Originality, it turns out, springs from mixing cultures rather than keeping them pure. The pages unfold to reveal Kanara migrants opening Udipi joints, Parsis serving Persian and Gujarati-tinged fare in their legendary cafes, Irani companions pouring chai beside them. Then there's Bhendi Bazaar, where Muslim communities transformed humble lanes into something approaching paradise for anyone hungry for flavour. Rigorously researched yet wonderfully gossipy, this book captures a city as vibrant and contradictory as the cooking that feeds it.
- Author: Pronoti Datta
- Publisher: Speaking Tiger Books
- Genre: Cooking & Culinary Arts
- ISBN: 978-9363363199
- Pages: 360 pages