FOOD!!

Alina Ali

Block 3

12 November 2019

Tandoori chicken, lamb chops, chicken roast, beef kebabs - these all give me a taste of home in England through the amazing, aromatic, and flavorful memories of my grandmother’s Eid dinner. When I close my eyes and picture the best meal I have ever had, my mind races to every Eid dinner I’ve had with my family in England. Every smell, every bite, every flavor and every aroma is embedded in your mind even after the meal is over. Food holds a special place in my heart because it is a physical connection from the past to the present and it is a celebration of community.  

Over half a century ago, my grandmother left Pakistan and emigrated to England, leaving her home, her family and parts of her culture behind. Her past was Pakistan and her future was England. Eid, specifically Eid dinner, created a bridge to link those two worlds. Eid dinner in Pakistan was a community effort and a community celebration. Kids would bring baskets of fresh fruit to every house and you could smell the sweet smell of mango and papaya, the aromatic herbs from every garden, and the culmination of ground spices for the chicken - cumin, paprika, pepper, garlic and cilantro. Houses across the street could smell the aromas from each other’s kitchens. The aromas of Eid are unparalleled - the fragrance of fresh rosemary, the scent of paprika, the smell of crisp naan, the aroma of freshly baked baklava. I personally never experienced such memories, but merely heard through stories. Eid in England was initially her alone cooking the dishes she grew up with and  what connected her to home - delicious lamb chops, spicy tandoori chicken, hearty beef kebabs, etc. As time passed, Eid dinner became more of a community event with neighbors bringing extra food, children sneaking a quick bite over the counter and everyone enjoying the amazing smells that fill the neighborhood. Food is about the memorable meals with the people you love. It’s about the amazing aromas that fills the house, it’s about the unforgettable taste of the culmination of sweet, sour, and spicy.

Since then, not much has changed. Amongst all the foods that one could find at their typical dinner table 50 years ago versus now, one dish that has withstood the test of time is my great-grandmother’s unmatched lamb chops dish. Marinated with the pungent flavor of red chiles, the bitterness of cumin, the powerful heat of the crushed red peppers, you can simply imagine the spicy, sweet, acidic flavor that resides in every bite. On the morning of Eid, everyone in the neighborhood wakes to specific smells that envelop their house and hears the sounds that you instantly associate in your mind with the amazing food preparations of Eid dinner. You can hear the sound of the wok pots sizzling with oil, crackling of naan as it’s being baked, knives clashing on the chopping boards, etc. Each aroma is so different but equally phenomenal. Personally, nothing excites me more about food more than waking up to the tropical, sweet smell from the papaya seasoning, the freshness of crisp coriander, and the unparalleled smell of lamb chops as soon as the oven timers go off.