Food culture in colonial Asia
Subtitle: a taste of empire
By: Cecilia Leong-Salobir
Series: Routledge studies in the modern history of Asia -- 69; Routledge studies in the modern history of Asia (2005) -- 69.
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2011
Place of publication: Abingdon, Oxon; New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 191
ISBN-13: 9780415606325; 9780203817063
Subjects: Social life and customs; Food; Colonial influence; Asian Cooking; Social aspects; Food habits; History
Description: "Presenting a social history of colonial food practices in India, Malaysia and Singapore, this book discusses the contribution that Asian domestic servants made towards the development of this cuisine between 1858 and 1963. Domestic cookbooks, household management manuals, memoirs, diaries and travelogues are used to investigate the culinary practices in the colonial household, as well as in clubs, hill stations, hotels and restaurants. Challenging accepted ideas about colonial cuisine, the book argues that a distinctive cuisine emerged as a result of negotiation and collaboration between the expatriate British and local people, and included dishes such as curries, mulligatawny, kedgeree, country captain and pish pash. The cuisine evolved over time, with the indigenous servants consuming both local and European foods. The book highlights both the role and representation of domestic servants in the colonies. It is an important contribution for students and scholars of food history and colonial history, as well as Asian Studies"--
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.