Rice and Arak: the South Indian Diet of the Early XVIII Century through the Eyes of Europeans according to the Documents of the Danish Royal Mission

Abstract

Since the beginning of the XVIII century, the Danish Royal Mission has been working in the South of India. For the first years, it consisted mainly of people from the University of Halle. Many historical sources have been preserved, according to which this page of the history of the penetration of Christianity into Asia and the formation of European Oriental studies is being reconstructed today. Lutheran pastors studied languages, translated sacred literature, preached, created schools, built churches. A significant amount of research has been devoted to these problems. However, the daily life of Europeans in the South Asian region at the beginning of the XVIII century until now has attracted little attention. Numerous reports on the work of missionaries in India allow us to envision how the Lutheran ministers of the church adapted to local household traditions, including culinary traditions. The first head of the mission, B. Ziegenbalg in his works gives overall information about the diet of local residents. In addition to telling about the main dishes and drinks of India, he provides valuable data on the relationship between cooking and Indian medicine. His works also contain materials concerning the specifics of the diet of ascetics. Finally, in connection with culinary topics, his materials preserve data about the economy of the region (trade relations, cultivated crops, prices for basic food and beverages, etc.). The texts of Ziegenbalg allow us to raise an important academic problem of meeting, interaction and mutual adaptation of two completely different cultures – European and Indian.