Thread by @paduvalli

#Plants and #poetry 🧵

It is interesting how poetry can provide insights into crop plant dispersal. 1/n

While reading Vikramarjuna Vijaya (VV aka Pampa Bharata), a 10th century work of poet Pampa, I stumbled upon following lines:”ಕುಡಿ ಬಿದಿರ ಕುಡಿಯ ಮಾವಿನ ಮಿಡಿಯ ಮಾರುದಿನ ಮೆಣಸುಗಡಲೆಯ ಪುಡಿಯೊಳಡಸಿ ದಲ್ಲವಲ್ಲಣಿಗೆಯ ಚಕ್ಕಣಂಗಳಂ ಸವಿಸವಿದು”: (4:87)
archive.org/details/unset0… 2/n

Some context here: VV is a classic work of Kannada poet Pampa (902–975 AD). It's a retelling of the epic Mahabharata in Old Kannada language. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adikavi_P…
So let me explain:
3/n

Here the poet is describing a scene from a liquor shop. Above lines describes the recipe of ‘Chakkana’, a side dish consumed along with alcohol.
4/n

According to food historian KT Achaya, Chakkana/Chakna is a ‘dish of offal, stewed with beans and tamarind’. However @saaaakeeeet & @yadav_rituu (who seems to be experts in this😀) tells me that 'chakna' refers to any snacks consumed with alcohol.
5/n

Anyway, let's see the poet's recipe: Along with meat, there are 5 more ingredients here: bamboo shoots (ಕುಡಿಬಿದಿರು), tender mangoes (ಮಿಡಿಮಾವು), black pepper/Piper nigrum (ಮೆಣಸುಗಡಲೆ/ಕಾಳುಮೆಣಸು), ginger (ಅಲ್ಲ) and (most likely) wood apple (ಮಾರುಡಿನ).
6/n

Why is this interesting? This spicy food recipe doesn't mention Chilli/Capsicum, instead the poet is adding black pepper and ginger for spiciness!
7/n

Historians suggest that capsicum was introduced to India by the Portuguese in the 15th century. Till then we used pepper and ginger to prepare spicy food.
8/n

Most of the popular capsicum cultivars in south India are similar to those from neotropics. But northeast India seems to have more diverse capsicum, including varieties like Bhoot Jolokia (which once had the claim to world’s hottest chilli).
9/n

Did NE Indians also started using capsicum only after 15th century? Seems less likely given the diversity and their culinary practices.
10/n

What does science say? A recent paper suggests 3 possible routes of introduction to the Indian subcontinent. 1. post-Columbian trade routes of Portuguese empire 2. “silver route,” via Spanish colonies of Peru/Mexico to China in the 17th century and...
11/n

3. pre-Columbian and trans-Pacific routes. doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2…
12/n

It is most likely that south Indians got to know of capsicum through Portuguese in 15th c. Given the diversity, is it possible that NE Indians knew about it much earlier via pre-Columbian trade routes? We don't know.
13/n

Once introduced, Indians seem to have quickly replaced pepper and ginger with capsicum. 15th century saint and kannada poet Purandara Dasa even wrote a poem appreciating chillies!
listen to this song!
14/n

Poem loosely translates to “Wah! Chillies! Saviour of the poor, enhancer of good taste, fiery when bitten, and when I eat you, it is difficult even to think of the god!"
15/n

Today, It is hard to imagine Indian food sans chilli. However, there is still a kind of cultural memory among orthodox Indians. Recently introduced veggies including chilli, potato are prohibited on the day of 'shraddha', a ceremony performed in honour of the dead ancestors.
16/n

On a lighter note, if you are planning to try Pampa’s recipe of ‘chakna’, shall I say, take it with a pinch of salt! This jain poet was most likely a hardcore vegetarian who might have never tried his own poetic recipe!
17/end.