raw fish

[mongo_jones]

given the thousands of kilometres of coastline and the diversity of peoples along it, not to mention the hundreds of rivers criss-crossing the country, you'd think someone, somewhere would have tried fish raw. bengalis--renowned for cooking and eating fish--don't eat raw fish (i can't even get my parents to try sushi). does any indian cuisine formally incorporate raw fish? if not the dominant hindu (influenced) culture how about tribal cultures?

[susruta]

Interesting question. Traditionally Indians don't, as far as I know, eat any meat or fish raw. Perhaps this is due to the hotness of the climate. Is raw fish or meat eaten in any tropical or semi tropical countries? I think even ceviche is limited to the cooler parts of South America, though I could be wrong.

[mongo_jones]

Interesting question. Traditionally Indians don't, as far as I know, eat any meat or fish raw. Perhaps this is due to the hotness of the climate. Is raw fish or meat eaten in any tropical or semi tropical countries? I think even ceviche is limited to the cooler parts of South America, though I could be wrong.

i'm pretty sure there are african cuisines that incorporate raw meat.

[Monica Bhide]

Interestingly enough .. I was wondering about this last week. I was in NYC and kept having to request lunch meetings be moved from sushi bars.. I am not much of a raw fish person

Vikram.. any insights into Indian cooking and any raw meats????

[bhelpuri]

i'm pretty sure there are african cuisines that incorporate raw meat.

It's possible, though unlikely, that there are (literally) primitive cultures in Africa (and India) which refrain from cooking meat and simply gnaw it from the bloodied bone.

However, if there is such a culture in the tropics, it's also highly likely it refrains from being clothed and suffers from an extremely low life expectancy. And, naturally, it would be a bit much to refer to this basic food as "cuisine."

It doesn't make sense to eat meat or fish raw in the tropics, much of what we know as the history of Indian food (specifically) is also the history of how to preserve food for the maximum time, and how to mask/augment the taste and smell of rapidly deteriorating produce.

[mongo_jones]

i'm pretty sure there are african cuisines that incorporate raw meat.

It's possible, though unlikely, that there are (literally) primitive cultures in Africa (and India) which refrain from cooking meat and simply gnaw it from the bloodied bone.

However, if there is such a culture in the tropics, it's also highly likely it refrains from being clothed and suffers from an extremely low life expectancy. And, naturally, it would be a bit much to refer to this basic food as "cuisine."

It doesn't make sense to eat meat or fish raw in the tropics, much of what we know as the history of Indian food (specifically) is also the history of how to preserve food for the maximum time, and how to mask/augment the taste and smell of rapidly deteriorating produce.

i get all that about heat and preservation--i highly doubt anyone, anywhere in india eats raw meat--though as i say that i wonder about some of the north-eastern peoples in cooler climates. i'm wondering, however, if any coastal people have at freshly caught raw fish, before the heat becomes a factor.

[richw]

I've seen small live fish swallowed by people in India as part of some holisitic asthma treatment.

[bhelpuri]

Having said that, I'm fairly sure that I have eaten "raw" fish roe a couple of times in India, but it wasn't strictly raw. It was salted and preserved for a couple of days, and thus quite different from - say - the untouched fresh roe you get in some Japanese preparations.

--

Also, I have made brilliant-tasting ceviche a couple of times in India, right on the beach with super-fresh fish straight from the seine nets. It can be done, but I have to also report that every desi I've offered it to couldn't stomach the idea.

Edited April 30, 2004 by bhelpuri (log)

[mongo_jones]

Also, I have made brilliant-tasting ceviche a couple of times in India, right on the beach with super-fresh fish straight from the seine nets. It can be done, but I have to also report that every desi I've offered it to couldn't stomach the idea.

are these kuleen brahmin type desis? you might have better luck with the fisherfolk. or am i being overly romantic? now, that'd be a change.

[bhelpuri]

That's true, richw, millions of people have gone to Hyderabad to indulge in that swallow-a-live-fish therapy to alleviate asthma.

Here's an article about it.

Of course, that's not for nutritional purposes, but rather a form of naturopathy. I bet there are other such naturopathic "cures" which require that the ingredient be raw (or alive).

Somewhere in my albums, I have a photo of a Nepali forest guard carefully collecting the (super fresh! raw!!) urine from a grunting baby male rhinocerous for use in such a "cure". I urged him to lift the mug and drink it for my camera, but - believe it or not - the piss was so valuable that he preferred to bottle it for sale.

And then there's our former Prime Minister, Morarji Desai, whose (super fresh ! raw!!) naturopathic daily routine involved lofting a glass or two of his own first-press Pissky.

[mongo_jones]

And then there's our former Prime Minister, Morarji Desai, whose (super fresh ! raw!!) naturopathic daily routine involved lofting a glass or two of his own first-press Pissky.

first-press? now, there's a painful thought. can we say first-extract instead? and the old bastard did live to be almost a 100 and was pretty sharp till the end. hmmm.

[bhelpuri]

You're being overly romantic, Doctor Jones.

In my experience, fisherfolk not only want their fish cooked, they want a specific fish cooked in one specific way or it is deemed unsatisfactory.

That's worldwide, by the way.

[sandra]

Interesting question. Traditionally Indians don't, as far as I know, eat any meat or fish raw. Perhaps this is due to the hotness of the climate. Is raw fish or meat eaten in any tropical or semi tropical countries? I think even ceviche is limited to the cooler parts of South America, though I could be wrong.

Ceviche is very common in the warmer parts of Mexico, where during the day sometimes it can get to 35c - 37c...

[Pan]

It's possible, though unlikely, that there are (literally) primitive cultures in Africa (and India) which refrain from cooking meat and simply gnaw it from the bloodied bone.

Considering that people have been cooking all over the world for over 100,000 years (and that's a very conservative number), the idea that you'd find a "primitive" tribe that doesn't cook anything - well, if they don't cook anything, it would have to be a matter of taste, not being over 100,000 years "behind" the rest of the human race. Please, let's be careful about cultural-evolutionist language.

[bhelpuri]

Please, let's be careful about cultural-evolutionist language. 

Even for l'il ol' PC me, that's a new one.

[Milagai]

The raw and the cooked....

In the late '80's Delhi we painstakingly assembled

ingredients for an exotic Western style salad,

all correct raw veggies, leaves etc.

artistically sliced and diced,

Concocted some nouveau-correct salad dressing.

The khalasi sneered at us: "Sahab, ham to yeh sab

dankar ko daalte hain."

(Sir, we feed this @#$% to our cattle".)

Milagai

[Pan]

What's a khalasi?

[scott123]

i'm pretty sure there are african cuisines that incorporate raw meat.

It's possible, though unlikely, that there are (literally) primitive cultures in Africa (and India) which refrain from cooking meat and simply gnaw it from the bloodied bone.

However, if there is such a culture in the tropics, it's also highly likely it refrains from being clothed and suffers from an extremely low life expectancy. And, naturally, it would be a bit much to refer to this basic food as "cuisine."

It doesn't make sense to eat meat or fish raw in the tropics, much of what we know as the history of Indian food (specifically) is also the history of how to preserve food for the maximum time, and how to mask/augment the taste and smell of rapidly deteriorating produce.

Modern day, city dwelling, clothes wearing Ethiopians eat two raw beef dishes, kitfo and gored gored.

[Episure]

And then there's our former Prime Minister, Morarji Desai, whose (super fresh ! raw!!) naturopathic daily routine involved lofting a glass or two of his own first-press Pissky.

first-press? now, there's a painful thought. can we say first-extract instead? and the old bastard did live to be almost a 100 and was pretty sharp till the end. hmmm.

Anomalies of drinking in India

[rajsuman]

I suppose when you're terminally ill, you really don't mind the Pissky if it promises to cure you. I have heard of cases ( through reliable sources) where the Pissky has done just that. I definitely won't do it just to boost my health, but if it's a 'do-or-die' situation, hey I might as well!

Suman

[anil]

What's a khalasi?

A kind of a handy man - Mostly associated with colonial era classification system.

I've only had our relatives in th Railways and big industrial plants have persons orking for them, named as such.... oh well.

Edited May 1, 2004 by anil (log)

[Pan]

Thanks for the explanation, Anil.