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by Fabio Parasecoli

I recently spent two weeks in Bangalore, India doing research viagra online 50mg on geographical indications and on the food industry in one of the global IT capitals of the world. More about that in the coming weeks, but when I was there, I could not help but be intrigued by recurring news in the newspapers and on TV about the unexpected surge in the price of onions. The widespread coverage and the heated discussions surrounding the issue prove its enormous relevance in Indian politics.

Due to a bad crop in Maharasthra and excessive rain in Karnataka in southern India, by mid September, onions were sold at 80-82 rupees per kilo (more or less US $0.70 per pound) at the greengrocer’s, while the wholesale price hovered around 60 rupees (about US$ 0.50 per pound). In the past five years, the wholesale price has oscillated between 25 and 45 rupees per kilo, with a sudden peak in 2008 at 55, according to the Times of India. Many outside India would think that onions are not such a fundamental staple that a price increase would cause such a stir. It would be easy to discount the onions as basically cheap and the difference just as a matter of cents.

However, the onion is one of the most prevalent ingredients in many Indian cuisines, especially considering that a considerable segment of the population is vegetarian (although those following sattvic principles — as we will see in a future post — consume neither onion nor garlic). There are reports that some restaurants are slightly changing their dishes in order to make room for the swollen price of the vegetable. And the spike is likely to put a serious dent in their food budget of many poor families, raising fears of inflation.

Opposition parties such as the BJP (the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party) are taking stock of the weather vagaries and the unusually abundant rains during the monsoon, but nonetheless they are using this sensitive issue to blame the present government and the Indian National Congress party of corruption and mismanagement. As elections for the lower house of the national parliament will take place in May 2014, the clamor about food prices is much more likely to influence a large part of the citizenry compared to the slowing economy, the falling rupee, and a high current account deficit, which more directly affect the burgeoning middle class.

There are precedents to these debates. In 1980 Indira Gandhi managed to dominate the 1980 elections for the lower house by riding on the discontent among citizens about the soaring prices of, precisely, onions. Some even attribute the 1998 defeat of the BJP in Delhi to a spike in the price of onions. It is a widespread opinion that a government that is not able to control crop prices, especially for the most modest and common foods, should not guide the nation. The argument is even stronger after the passage of a food security bill in September that subsidizes wheat and rice for around 800 million people — a measure spearheaded by the Congress party that many criticized as a ruse to increase its chances of reelection and a nail in the coffin for the rupee.

Whatever the political backlash, the law is an important step towards food justice in a country were many are still hungry or undernourished, in particular the farmers that are suffering from the corporatization of the agricultural sector (especially in terms of seed availability), state control over prices of food crops, and a complex chain of exploitative intermediaries between the farmers and the consumers. In the heated pre-electoral climate, and with food at the center of the economic and social disputes, it was inevitable that the humble but inescapable onion would make her appearance again on the political horizon.

This article first appeared on the Huffington Post.

Fabio Parasecoli is an Associate Professor and Coordinator of Food Studies at the School of Undergraduate Studies for The New School for Public Engagement. He also a Senior Editor of The Inquisitive Eater, and regular contributor to The Huffington Post. 

by Kunal Chandra

Photo Courtesy of Richard Rayner

There are two kinds of people when it comes to tattoos: those who have them and those who don’t. It’s that simple. Those who don’t have tattoos either don’t want one or can’t decide on their chosen ink. Some are reluctant because of the impending pain, some fear social repercussions and a majority are just unsure of the design that would become a permanent feature. I was a member of this group until a humble porcine being became an integral part of my life in Italy.

The pig plays a fundamental role in Italian gastronomic culture. The country, perhaps, makes the widest range of products from a single culling. Every part is revered, evident in the sheer variety of cured meats turned out by artisanal and large scale producers; culatello from the hind leg, capocallo from the shoulder, pancetta from the belly and guanciale from the cheeks. Pork fat, called lardo, derived from the back, effuses a meaty richness to any frugal dish transforming it instantly into a symphony on the palate. Then there are the ubiquitous ribs and loin or peculiar feet (zampone) cooked on the grill or in stews and braises. Every portion tastes better than the other.

These cuts support my belief in using the whole pig. With an increase in household incomes, consumers are buying costlier cuts of meat, typically found in top restaurants. The rate at which my friends consume tenderloin is both alarming and disturbing. But I question, isn’t it disrespectful to slay an animal just for a single need? It’s a similar perspective with ivory to elephants and fins to sharks. A few of my favourite chefs share a similar affinity for pigs.  Chef Fergus Henderson of St. John’s restaurant in London and Chef Andreas Dahlberg of the Bastard restaurant in Malmo are tireless crusaders of the nose to tail culinary philosophy, currently inspiring a new generation of carnivores to indulge in offal and entrails.

The location of my tattoo, on the lower rib cage, raised a few eyebrows and even more questions. Did it hurt? Are you crazy? Didn’t the needles sting you every time they reverberated over your ribs? The answer to all of the above is yes. But pain can be viewed as a positive feeling. Pain, in this context reminded me of how fragile life is, a part of being mortal just like the animals we enjoy eating. Call it sadistic or a triumph of empathy, but I wanted to feel a smidgen of the suffering felt by a pig as its death knell resounds midst its squeals. And the location close to my food friendly stomach was quite serendipitous.

The parts of the pig were written in Italian on the tattoo. This would ensure a lasting memory of the wonderful country – its language, the culture, the people, an incredible family of friends and life I have enjoyed. The words remind me of every slice of focaccia I have savoured with a cup of steaming espresso, each glass of prosecco had post work at aperitivo and platefuls of risotto with rivulets of unfiltered olive oil and an abundance of parmiggiano reggiano.

The tattoo was also an endeavour to help support local farmers, artisans and entrepreneurs. This piece of art was created by a local artist Elia (post consultation with a local butcher called Marco) who in the process of creating a customised work of food art has now reached out to over 500 students of my former university and even more gastronomes.

Lastly, every time I see myself in the mirror, the tattoo is a reminder of the moment I made a decision and stood by it. It resurrects the strength I have, the pain I can endure, the endless possibilities and beauty that lies beyond.

The humble pig may not be able to speak like Babe but it shows me the path to stay inspired each day and speak on its behalf to the food generation of today… or maybe until my next food tattoo.

Kunal Chandra is a recovering spice addict who has recently received a Masters in Food Culture and Communications in Italy and traversed the gastronomic pathways of Europe. He is back in India now on his latest culinary adventure. View his work at www.kunalchandra.com

(As seen on the Heritage Radio Network Website)

A Taste of the Past – Episode 89 – Fabio Parasecoli

First Aired – 02/16/2012 12:00PM
Download MP3 (Full Episode)
From food culture in 800BCE to the present day, this week’s episode of A Taste of the Past will take you there. With the help of New School professor of food studies, Fabio Parasecoli, host Linda Pelaccio takes you on a world tour of food globalization throughout major world time periods. Parasecoli, who has also edited an encyclopedic 6-volume tome on the subject– A Cultural History of Food— discusses the rise of food scholarship in major learning institutes around the world as well how food, not just eating, is taking an ever-expanding presence in every aspect of daily life. This episode is sponsored by Fairway Market

“Food has become very important in social and political debates. So my question is were those debates already there at the Roman times, what happened in the middle ages? For example, is the family meal really an institution or did we create it 100 years ago and we just pretend its been there forever?”

–Fabio Parasecoli on A Taste of the Past

Hosted By
Linda
Sponsored by
Fairway