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| Monday, November 03, 2008 |
| Universal Themes |
Walt Disney was right. It is a small world. For thousands of years different religions have celebrated holidays with similar themes. The Festival of Diwali, The Story of Chanukah and the celebration of Easter share in common symbolic foods, a celebration of light, and the triumph of spirit. The traditional meals, symbolic foods, and customary preparations are a joy for older generations who remember hardship and celebrate ‘the joy of cooking’ for their families with butter, sugar and love.
For a younger generation worried about cholesterol, obesity, heart disease and diabetes, a generation gap exists. They seek healthier, fresher, lighter ways to prepare the traditional meals.
The Festival of Diwali, also called the “Festival of Lights”, was celebrated last week “by Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, and Jains”. The holiday has religious and cultural significance and is celebrated throughout the world, as it has been for thousands of years. “Many legends are associated with Diwali,” but all celebrate the triumph or “victory of good over evil”, on a personal, or “spiritual” level as well as historically. Diwali also celebrates “the new year of luck and wealth.”
This festival is celebrated by “wearing new clothes and sharing sweets and snacks. Sugary treats, known as mithai, are central to the celebration. They are eagerly eaten, given as gifts, and offered to the gods. Thousands of tons of sweets are made every year. Shop owners say Diwali can account for as much as 30 percent of their annual sales.”
Recent prosperity has brought a clash of generations, tradition and culture to India. Tradition and health related issues like diabetes and obesity have threatened the new “urban middle class”, and the backlash has challenged the way of life for the chocolate makers, mostly “mom and pop stores” that sell the Diwali sweets. "An explosion of obesity and related health conditions has many Indians, some 35 million of whom are diabetic, thinking twice about treats. Last year, sales of sweets during Diwali were down 40% from the year before." Another clash of culture and tradition faced by vendors of mithai are the younger, educated, trendier middle class who prefer “linens, toasters and iPods” over the traditional gifts of sweets. Ironically, the desire for non-traditional gifts may help shield them from obesity and associated risks of diabetes.
The good news, for all involved, is that everyone is trying to lighten up. “Traditional treats usually contain plenty of ghee (clarified butter) and sugar. Now businesses are offering more sugar free varieties.” Two shop owners, the “great-grandson of the founder of Nathu’s Sweets, a leading chain with branches across northern India” and “a partner of the Bengali Sweet Shop, a New Delhi landmark” both make “sugar-free treats using artificial sweeteners.” They recommend them for diabetics, but note that “those who are health conscious still eat regular sweets, they just eat less.” That’s good advice for all of us on the holidays! Gavin Rabinowitz, of the Associated Press, who reported on Diwali for this article, also notes that “some have simply found healthier alternatives. ‘Most of the time we give dried fruits. They are healthier, last longer and are more practical’ said a 32 year old who waited outside Nathu’s Sweet Shop while a friend shopped inside.”
Whatever celebrations bring joy to your family, as the season approaches, look for advice to lighten up your traditional recipes! You can ask Lauren, Josee and Renee questions about recipes via the comments, or at whosyoursensei@gmail.com. A lighter, healthier holiday is good news for all generations. Don’t tell my Mother-in-law.
Thanks,
Nancy
Labels: Holiday Eating, Nancy
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posted by The Sensei Team @ Monday, November 03, 2008   |
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