Hour of the Goddess: Memories of Women, Food and Ritual in Bengal

by Chitrita Banerji

This unusual book weaves a warm, evocative tapestry out of memories of food, ritual and women's lives in Bengal. In the skilful hands of the author, who writes of growing up from girlhood to womanhood in her native land, food and ritual become intimate experiences. As memories of food preparation take shape, recalling associations of taste, smell and texture, a parallel thread of social commentary calls forth sharp observations; for example, how certain foods are 'forbidden' and what Bengali widows cannot eat. Eminently readable, this volume combines rigorous research into food and cultural history, social critique, and the immediacy and intimacy of memoir.

Genres: Food, India, Nonfiction, Feminism, Cooking, Travel

119 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Sujata · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a Bengali girl living far away from her birth town Calcutta, this book is a treasure... It transports the reader into a world of spices and smells. It shows the rich culture of Bengal (both East and West), how religion is celebrated with food and songs. The tradition of Boti and Sheel-Noraa, the way of life with a didi who comes to cook, while another prepares the spices - the tradition of the widows of Bengal - Paanch Phoron and Bengali sweets...

It has delightful recipes of traditional Bengali dishes which surely can be tried - I had immense fun just reading them :)

Every sentence, every word breathes "Bengal". A beautiful little book. Not just light reading but evocative in its language, gentle and sweet like an evening breeze... A book for Bengalis and friends of Bengalis.

[Adrija · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely read! Very informative and very well written! Would recommend this book to every Bengali out there.

[KhepiAri · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Finding that I was still alive despite my impudence, I opened my eyes and looked at the images of Krishna. Was there a responsive flicker in the beautiful elongated eyes carved in that gleaming black face? I no longer remember. But I do have this memory of bringing my hand back to my face and slowly, deliberately, finishing the rest of the fruits with an extraordinarily intense satisfaction. There were no doubts in my mind about the divine sanction of that fruity morsel. Could there be a truer experience of love?'
Food, every Bengali's first and only true love. This is a book that chronicles the life a woman who grew up collecting 'batasha' and listening to tales of cream stealing naughty god. It is also a cookbook which has picked out the most common & essential recipes of our Bengali Cuisine.

The author very lucidly moves from the semi-vegetarian Ghoti hearth of subtle flavours to a Bangal wizardry of fish, mutton & utilitarian vegetarian recipes made of shoots and peeled skins. Simultaneously she married a Muslim man from Bangladesh only to learn of the spell called onion, blood preserved Ilish and concludes all Bengalis irrespective of cast, locality and religion unite for this awful fish.

Eventually realises cooking is magic & celebration but a way of grounding women. As she recalls customs & rituals would-be-bride had to go through by exhibiting cutting & cooking delicate vegetables!

She also explains various rituals married with food, brings out Portuguese connection with present day Chanar Sandesh, gives Bonti it's due credits, explains the spices. Author recalls the hapless Helping Hand 'Patoler Ma' who could hardly afford a single spice, and is angered by how Widows are deprived of non-vegetarian food and forced to follow malnutrient customs!

Well researched, crisp, fast & descriptive enough to make you hungry.

[Rohini · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are not a Bengali but interested in learning about the region's food,customs and culture, this book will fascinate you and allow you a rare sneak-peek into the nuances behind Bengal's habits and traditions. And if you are a Bengali( like me), you will be enriched by this book and your respect for your own community will increase manifold. Written in lucid language, this extremely enjoyable book juxtaposes tales of rituals and traditions still very familiar even in modern Bengal with anecdotes from history that is interesting to read about. Many a times I found myself smiling at the familiarity of a particular custom or a piece of folklore, all the while wanting to know more about their backstories. This book can be considered as a small tribute to Bengal's immense cultural heritage. I came across this book by chance, but enjoyed every bit of it.

[Debdutta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although some of the recipes and references from the previous book, Bengali Cooking - Seasons and Festival, show up here, this one goes further into the author’s personal anecdotes, alongwith some notes and sketches on the domestic life of Bengali families. The chapters on the house help “Patoler Ma” and “What Bengali widows cannot eat”, written quite touchingly, will remain memorable to me. Overall, this book is also quite well researched and the writing is evocative as always!

[Kaushiky Hazra · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://thejoyofreading.wixsite.com/b...

[Manisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

The intersections of food, gender, ritual and religion are wonderfully explored and delineated by Banerji who balances poetic prose with acute social commentary.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable! I liked it so much that I kept re-reading chapters as I was going to drag it out since it is a rather short book. In her narrative about growing up in West Bengal, moving briefly to Bangladesh, and eventually migrating to Cambridge, MA, she reveals much about the significance of food in family life, ritual, gender roles, and art. The memoir also includes mouth-watering descriptions & recipes for several dishes, including luchis (deep fried puffed bread), & alur dam (spicy potatoes). I also found her discussion of spices and the numerous ways that they are used in Indian cooking to be fascinating. Most surprising of all (to me, at least) was her chapter dedicated to chana and milk-based sweets. This would be an excellent book for an undergraduate class related to food!

[Kavitha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful vignettes that capture the essence of Bengali love for food, their prejudices and the way of life. That there's an entire chapter dedicated to the 'bonti', a humble curved cutting blade ubiquitous to most homes in India shows the author's eye for the mundane in a way that captures the intimacy of households and private lives.

The book does a fine job of straddling the worlds of a memoir steeped in nostalgia as well a critical, discerning eye on the same life, rituals and customs when needed.

[Kasia · Rating 3 out of 5]

if you're looking for a cookbook, then you will be very disappointed (as i was, at one time) in this book, or anything by chitrita banerji, for that matter. a "culinary historian," she has a compelling and distinctive way of writing about food and culture. she's written a number of other books along the lines of this one about south asian cuisine, but this one is specifically about women. it's right up meredith's alley...

[Jagati Bagchi · Rating 4 out of 5]

sweet anecdotes, spiced with recipes for old way cooking, photographs like garlands of fresh jasmine.................. the book is quintessential bengali.

[Yamini · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amazing book....a must read.How a wonderful book can be carved out of everyday life, the author has uniquely proven that!Fell in love with India and its spices all over again!!!!

[Kenneth]

A friend and favorite author!