REVIEW OF THE BOOK “CULINARY TRADITIONS OF MEDIEVAL KARNATAKA-THE SOOPA SHASTRA OF MANGARASA III”

While searching upon the different kinds of manuscripts and their translated editions across the internet, I came across a book titled “Culinary Traditions of Medieval Karnataka-The Soopa Shastra of Mangarasa III”. The Editors of the book are N.P.Bhat and Nerupama Y.Modwel. It is published by Intangible Cultural Heritage Division (INTACH) and B.R.Publishing Corporation, Delhi. It was first published in 2012. The ISBN is 9789350500316. The price of the book is Rs.1113.

The front cover sheet has a collage of images depicting the various aspects of the activities of a cook in a kitchen and his work. Or the first time in my reviewing process of various books, I observed that there is a section wherein the submission and approval has been taken from the translator. Usually it is missing in many of the translated works. A precise historical background and references are present in the book.

First of all, I will be discussing about various recipes shared in the SOOPA SHASTRA (I will be sharing the stepwise method of cooking these recipes in my other blog):

a)      PISHTAKADHYAYA has 50 recipes

b)      PANAKADHYAYA has 26 recipes

c)       Rice Preparations has 20 recipes

d)      Vegetable Preparations Part-I has 65 recipes

e)      Vegetable Preparations Part-II  has 74 recipes

f)       Vegetable Preparations Part-III has 23 recipes

g)      APPENDIX I has 8 recipes

POSITIVE POINTS OF THE BOOK:

1.       It is indeed an authoritative and genuine book on SOOPA SHASTRA.

2.       It gives us good details about each and every topic associated and connected to the culinary art of Karnataka.

3.       Since the book is a historical one, the Editors and INTACH had requested a group of Homemakers to really try on the recipes shared in the book and published their experiences with the Editors.

4.       It consists of purely vegetarian dishes prepared for the King and his family members.

5.       Good number of photographs is shared in the book. The historical place of the King and his kitchen has been shown with the help of the photographs.

6.       There are beautiful recipes which I tried at home and are worthwhile sharing with others also (I will be posting the step by step process in my other blog).

NEGATIVE POINTS OF THE BOOK:

1.       The book is not easily available in the market.

2.       I wish other portion of the original manuscript was published by the translator or the Editors.

On the whole, it is a great and excellent historical book on Soopa Shastra.