Zilka Joseph
Sweet Malida: Memories of a Bene Israel Woman
By Zilka Joseph
A collection of poems and prose about the history and cuisine of the Bene Israel Jews of India, childhood memories and personal journeys.
Who are the Bene Israel Jews of India? Where did they come from? How did they survive in India? A moving, multi-layered, richly sensory and informative collection of poems and short prose inspired by this ancient community which the poet herself belongs to. Using various poetic forms, the poet launches on an imaginative journey, delving into the history, especially the food and culinary customs of this small community of Indian Jews, explores its special connection to the Prophet Elijah, while seamlessly weaving in memories, bringing to life the past and lost loved ones as well.
Link to the book:
http://mayapplepress.com/sweet-malida-memories-of-a-bene-israel-woman-zilka-joseph/
Artist: Raina (Ezekiel) Imig
Resources on Bene Israel cuisine and recipes follow the sample poems.
Sample poems from Sweet Malida:
Sweet Malida
Sweet malida,
a mix of water-softened
flattened rice, sugar,
dried fruits and nuts,
was a dish made
for Shabbath, or for breaking
our fasts. Cooling, light
on the palate, and
to the body and the spirit,
it was welcome in the heat
of day or night. We had many foods
in common with our Muslim,
Christian and Hindu neighbors,
and we often celebrated together
their festivals or ours. I relished
particularly fresh coconut,
the regional staple, its milk
or its flesh added to almost
every dish. But this was to me
the best way to eat it;
finely grated
by my mother’s hands,
left unsweetened
and sprinkled haphazardly
on the malida, juicy threads
with a fleck of stubborn
brown kernel here and there
that sometimes crunched
in your teeth like sand,
and you winced and swallowed it,
knowing that there was no
simpler or purer
or truer form than that.
Eliyahoo Hanabi
--the Malida ceremony of the Bene Israel
Give thanks to the Prophet Elijah!
Eliyahoo hanabi!
Eliyahoo hanabi!
Let us heap the sugar-sprinkled poha
tall as a pyramid, mixed with shredded
coconut, precious dried fruit and nuts,
scented with the most fragrant
of spices. O Elijah, can you taste
the nutmeg, the cardamom, the freshly
sliced mangoes, guava, chikoo, apples and
bananas arranged like garlands? Can you see
the pomegranate seeds dotting the top
of the rice, bursting sweet juice
and tartness? Can you smell
the red rose petals
scattered everywhere,
the cups of cloves?
Accept our thanks!
Let us say barakha over
each item, ha’etz, ha’adama.
The fruits that grow on trees of hard
wood, the fruits that grow on soft
trunks of fiber. Phool-chi barakha,
praise the flowers that give us so much
pleasure. Join us! Descend in your fiery
chariot, where ascended once, as it left
a cleft in the rock in Sagav village, where
pilgrims come to Alibagh, the soil
our wandering ancestors’ were
blown onto by the storm. They reached
land, survived. Feast
with us, we humbly ask, O granter
of wishes, as we chant
our gratitude, our prayer—
words of Malida-chi barakha
circle our offerings, rise up
to meet you in the clouds,
touch your flaming chariot
your horses of fire.
Eliyahoo hanabi!
Eliyahoo hanabi!
A Chirota for My Thoughts
this fine flaky treat was often made
from left over chironji dough
rolled out in flat circles
ghee-smothered with fingers
piled on each other folded and rolled
folded and rolled again
full of hidden “puthers”—feathers
which fluffed up miraculously
as it rose up singing
out of hot oil
a crisp golden disc
delicate as eggshells
dusted with sugar or drizzled with a glaze
then studded with pistas and charoli
eaten so fast the fine sprays of crumbs
settled everywhere like dust
I pressed my little index finger
into it and sucked
or licked off the old dining table
with my tongue
some days paralyzed with lost-ness
and weak limbs I pretend
unhealed wounds and home fallen
to ruin are made whole
broken slivers I salvage
from inside those stainless steel tins
the indestructible dubbas we owned
etched with our names
Information/Resources on Bene Israel Cuisine and Recipes
Zimra Israel shares her culinary knowledge, stories, and recipes:
https://www.indiafoodnetwork.in/food-stories/bene-israel-lunch-zimra-israel/
Esther David's invaluable book Bene Appetit, a compilation of recipes of Indian Jewish communities:
https://www.amazon.com/Bene-Appetit-Cuisine-Indian-Jews/dp/9353579570
Jewish Book Council's article on Esther David's prize-winning book:
https://www.jewishbookcouncil.org/book/bene-appetit-the-cuisine-of-indian-jews
An article on Bene Israel food and a family's curry recipe:
https://www.jewishfoodsociety.org/stories/a-shabbat-curry-by-way-of-mumbai
Some interesting takes on food and traditional recipes:
https://thejewsofindia.com/category/recipes/
A survey of the vibrant foods of Indian Jewish communities including the Bene Israel:
https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20220424-the-surprising-landscape-of-indian-jewish-food
Some Festival Foods:
https://www.architecturaldigest.in/story/for-the-jewish-holy-month-a-feast-of-food-and-design-from-their-mumbai-outposts/
Traditional Cuisine of the Bene Israel: