A few months ago, blog reader Barry Scott wrote me an intriguing email:
Dear Tori,
I thought that you might be interested in this cookbook. It was published in 1922 in Calcutta, India. My father-in-law, a Jew of Calcutta, gave a copy of this book to me. The Jews of Calcutta had a long and colorful history. They settled there well over two hundred years ago…
Barry scanned a copy of the book, entitled the Jewish Cookery Book, and sent it to me. It was published by Mrs. H. Brooke and printed by East Bengal Press, 52/9 Bowbazar Street, Calcutta. I have a pretty large collection of vintage cookbooks (both Jewish and non-Jewish), but this volume was totally new to me. It contains several kosher Jewish Indian recipes, including some I’ve never heard of before.
This seemed like the perfect opportunity to take a deeper look at Jewish Indian cuisine. I pored over the scanned pages of the cookbook, taking in all of the dishes, exotic spices, and ingredients. Some of the recipes were familiar to me, others completely new. I chose a dish that sounded tempting and went for it!
Before I started cooking, I did some research on the history of Indian Jewry. Rather than one mass migration, Jewish groups have settled in India at different times throughout the centuries. India’s Jews descend from four major groups—the Cochin, the Bene Israel, the Paradesi, and Baghdadi. The Bene Israel and the Cochin Jews claim to be descendants of the ten lost tribes of Israel.
Cochin Jews, circa 1900. Jewish Encyclopedia, 1901-1906
The Cochin Jews are the most ancient group of Jews in India. They claim roots in India from the time of King Solomon, though it can only be historically verified that they resided in India after 70 CE. After the Second Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed, a wave of settlers landed in the ancient port of Cranganore. They moved to nearby Cochin in the late fifteenth century after the Portuguese invaded, and were welcomed there by the maharajah. An area called Jew Town was established, where the Cochin Jews lived in harmony with their Hindu neighbors. They became involved in trading pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and other spices.
In the 16th century, Sephardic Jews were exiled from the Iberian Peninsula. A group of these Sephardim settled in Cochin. Known as Paradesi Jews, this group had lighter skin than the original Jewish settlers of Cochin (known as Malabari Jews). The customs of the Malabari were quite different from the Paradesi, and tension developed between the two populations. A division soon emerged; black Malabari Jews were often treated with disdain. They were barred from attending the white Paradesi Synagogue, and the Paradesi looked down upon the Malabari in business and trade dealings. Despite the issues between the Malabari and the Paradesi, the Cochin lived relatively peacefully in India for centuries.
Bene Israel Family at Bombay, circa 1900. Jewish Encyclopedia, 1901-1906
The Bene Israel Jews believe that their ancestors were oil pressers in the Galilee, who fled by sea to escape religious persecution in the 2nd century B.C.E. Legend says that seven Jewish couples survived a shipwreck on the Konkan Coast of India, on the shores of Kolaba; those seven couples are said to be the ancestors of modern day Bene Israel Jews. The shipwrecked Jews washed up near a village called Navgaon; all of their belongings were lost at sea. The survivors settled in Navgaon and started working in agriculture and oil pressing. Over the centuries, the descendants of the Bene Israel continued to carry on key Jewish traditions, including keeping kosher, circumcision, and observing Shabbat. The small group of Jews was “rediscovered” in the 18th century by traders from Baghdad, Iraq.
While the shipwreck story has at times been questioned over the years, the Bene Israel may, in fact, be right about their ancestry. According to a research study published in the early 90’s by Tudor Parfitt at London’s School of Oriental and African Studies, which gathered DNA from over 4,000 case studies, the Bene Israel are likely descendents of the Israelite Kohanim tribe.
Barry’s father-in-law, Ezra Joseph Gubbay, a Jew of Calcutta – 1930
More recently, a wave of Baghdadi Jews settled in India. Not all Baghdadi Jews are from Iraq; the Baghdadi name is also used to encompass immigrants from Iran, Yemen, and Afghanistan. Around 250 years ago, a wave of Jews emigrated from these countries to India, settling in Surat and later Bombay and Calcutta (now known as Kolkata). Baghdadi Jews established a trading network from Syria and Baghdad and Bombay to Calcutta, stretching all the way to Japan and Hong Kong. They quickly found success in trading, and the community thrived. Many Baghdadi Jews made their home in Calcutta, where Barry Scott’s father-in-law Ezra Joseph Gubbay lived—and where the Jewish Cookery Book was written. Ezra, like many Baghdadi Jews, was involved in various trading that included indigo, textiles, and precious stones.
Sadly, the population of Jews in India is now dwindling. After World War II, the rise of Indian nationalism made things tense for Jews in India, who were closely associated with Great Britain. The Jews began leaving in the 1940’s, emmigrating from India to Israel, the U.S. and England. A few elderly Jews stayed behind, but that population is slowly disappearing. In Calcutta, a once thriving community of 5,000 Jews is now on the verge of extinction.
The Jews may have left India, but their culinary traditions live on. Like other Jewish communities around the globe, Indian Jews have adapted the regional cuisine of their adopted country to make it kosher. The unique spices of the region are used freely in Indian Jewish recipes, as are regional kosher substitutes (like using coconut milk as a pareve alternative to milk or cream). Lamb (referred to in the cookbook as “mutton”) is used instead of beef as a red meat source; this is because the Hindus have a sacred respect for cows, and the Indian Jews generally respected this restriction. By exploring these recipes today and savoring these very special Indian flavors, we can imagine what it was like to live a Jewish life in India.
In my next blog, I’ll dig deeper into Ezra Joseph Gubbay’s family story. I’ll also share a recipe from the vintage Jewish Cookery Book from Calcutta. Stay tuned!
Update: I’ve posted the Gubbay family story and a recipe from this cookbook. Click here to view.
Mechelle says
Thank you Tori, I am learning about a culture through you that I never understood. You have encouraged me to look deeper with single posts.
Mirela says
Those kosher Indian products sold at TJ come from India, and the print is so tiny I’m not sure I can read a name.
Danella Lubar says
Like Dr. Mike,
I too would love to have a copy of this cookbook.
Danella Lubar
dena says
I have a friend from Cochin. She has told us that the shochet only visited to butcher cattle a few times a year so she grew up mostly vegetarian. When she hosts a Hadassah board meeting, the food she makes is so fabulous even non-board members attend. I keep asking her for recipes, but she insists that she makes them up as she goes along.
Diane Baum says
So interesting-if copies are possible, i would love one
Neil Nieekerk says
How about scanning the book and putting the recipes/pages online?
Tori Avey says
Neil, if there are no copyright issues and the family agrees, I will– waiting to hear back from them. 🙂
Valerie Kabanuk Chapin says
I love Jewish/Israeli cookbooks and cooking/eating many recipes I’ve found from around the world. This cookbook sounds awesome and if the Scott family agrees, I would love to be able to have a shared ecopy of this cookbook also.
Mirela says
Thanks for a fascinating blog. Can’t wait to read more. And does anyone know who the group is that certifies some Indian sauces sold in packets at Trader Joe’s and other food chains? The sauces claim to be complete dishes for one, but there’s not much in the packet, so I add eggplant, onions, etc. But the spicing is great. Also, what does B.C.DE. stand for in the paragraph about Bene Israel Jews? Wonder if these people are related to a similar Bene Israel group in Africa.
Tori Avey says
Mirela, it’s supposed to be B.C.E.= Before Common Era. The D was a typo. I’m not sure who certifies the TJ’s sauces, you’d have to check with the brand (if the brand is TJ’s, I’m sure the store can find the info for you).
Michelle Jaffee says
This is a wonderful post on so many levels. Awesome that your reader chose to share with you and that you chose to follow up… a fantastic history/story and I look forward to more of it.
Rashmi from yumkid.com says
I went to Cochin for my honeymoon a few years ago and visited the Synagogue in Jew Town (Cochin) that was built in 1500s. It was amazing to see how well kept the synagogue is. We loved exploring the surrounding areas and got some incredible spices from JewTown as Kerala is know for its dried spices.It was special to me as it was my first trip to a synagogue. 🙂
Dr. Mike Janning says
Since you have a scanned version, would you be able to share the entire cookbook online?
Tori Avey says
Great idea Mike, I will ask permission from the Scott family and let you know!
Sarah says
I second that idea!!!
Cookingnut says
How cool is that! When I was 19 and in Israel, my banker that helped me set up an account was from India. I found it fascinating then and now…er…a few years later 🙂
I’m looking forward to reading more!
Ruth Mc Clung says
My brother was a cook in the Air Force on Guam in the early 50’s. Each shipment of meat contained a certain amount of mutton. It began to pile up. He cooked and served some. That night he was visited by some higher ranking men. Bury the rest by the light of the moon. I remembered that story from his “war days”.
Gini says
Love this!!! I too collect cookbooks…all kinds….but yes, my favorite are the Jewish Cookbooks because of the heritage…this is great….so interesting…and I love when the books explain the history of the region!! Enjoy and Thanks for sharing!!!
Erica says
I’m a volunteer at Distributed Proofreaders, which (basically) takes scanned images of old public-domain books, runs them through OCR, and then a team of volunteers double-checks the generated text and creates a free e-book from it. Would you consider sharing the scans with us so this could be preserved for a wider audience? (I’m a fan both of old books about Jewish culture, AND about old cookbooks, so I’m drooling on my keyboard here…)
Tori Avey says
Hi Erica– what a neat idea! I will ask the Scott family if they’d be willing to share. I’ll let you know! 🙂
Auntiji says
Hi Shiksa, if you’re interested in B’nai Israel cooking, I recommend Esther David’s “Book of Rachel”, a novel including recipies. The author is a B’nai Israel living in Ahmedabad !
Tori Avey says
Thanks for the recommendation Auntiji, I will check it out!
Darcey says
Be careful: “mutton” also refers to goat in some parts of India. In the north where I live, I buy what is called mutton regularly – but I know for a fact none of it has ever come from a sheep.
Tori Avey says
Hi Darcey, I was not aware of that– very interesting! According to Barry and his wife, their Jewish family in Calcutta only ate mutton once per year, for Rosh Hashanah. I will ask them to clarify if the mutton Ezra refers to is sheep or goat meat. Thank you for pointing that out!
Tori Avey says
After speaking to the Scott family. it was clarified that they did not actually eat mutton; they made the mutton recipes in the cookbook using chicken. However, a lamb shank bone was served for Passover as part of the blessing.
Zemirah says
Don’t confuse lamb and mutton; they definitely have different flavours, though of course you could substitute lamb for mutton if you wished.
Tori Avey says
Zemirah, in this 1922 cookbook there is no distinction between lamb and mutton– all sheep’s meat is referred to as mutton.You are correct that there is a difference in flavor between the younger lamb meat and the older mutton meat, though they come from the same animal. I would think that most of the “mutton” recipes in the book would taste better using lamb, not mutton. I’ve not had a chance to try any of the meat recipes yet.
Erica Lyons says
Great posting. Really looking forward to hearing more about the Ezra Gubbay family story. The Jewish Cookery Book looks amazing. What a find!
Tori Avey says
Isn’t it exciting Erica? 🙂
Gary ezra says
My grandfather is ezra Ezekiel ezra my father Edward ezra. From Bombay grandfather originally Baghdad I love the cuisine and am constantly trying to find more recipes.