Why Chindian cuisine is a genre, not an aberration

Last month, New Delhi’s fabled House of Ming opened an outlet in London. While some wryly refer to it as ‘House of Singh’, habitues of India’s capital would vouchsafe that the restaurant has been the haunt of the powerful (who are also generally rich) ever since it opened 45—yes, 45—years ago, and many of them are practically addicted to certain dishes. Taking its signature ‘Chinese’ cuisine to London, though, is a leap of faith that demands a closer look. The well-heeled Indians who frequent London in summer affirm that House of Ming has retained all the familiar flavours that have made it a byword for what might be called Haute Chindian, top-of-the-pops of a genre India has pioneered and now deserves recognition. This culinary category has more fans than Singaporean and other south-east Asian riffs on Chinese cuisine, but has got none of the respect, mainly because Indians themselves are not assertive about it. The Taj group, however, is marketing House of Ming in London as a place for Cantonese and Sichuan cuisine, though almost half of its items are the same as those at its outlet in New Delhi. That bespeaks a desire to straddle two boats—with all its obvious pitfalls. There is no dearth of restaurants in London serving “authentic” Chinese cuisine, so the House of Ming has pitted itself against a very formidable and entrenched field of rivals. Chindian, however, is unique. Also last month, the cherubic Katherine Chung brought her distinctive Hakka Chinese cuisine from Kolkata to the capital, albeit to its southwestern extremity at the Aerocity’s Pullman hotel. She did not, however, present any of the dishes that are so loved by the current aficionados of “Chaynis” food in Kolkata; rather she made what her family had been cooking at home. It was startlingly different from the Chindian dishes that her Hakka cuisine eventually gave birth to. Her Hakka dishes told the tale of a hard-working community’s ability to adapt and preserve their cuisine. That they innovated to evolve a new cuisine but also kept alive their story of migration at their tables at home imbues Chindian with a hardy legacy. It is not a gimmick or an ersatz culinary category but a genre of, well, Indian cuisine, created by Chinese Indians. And just as India fitted Persian, Arab and other cuisines into its own, it has done so with this Chinese one. Trepidation about marketing an Indian derivative of Chinese fare outside India is understandable. Smirks and bad press are guaranteed from western food critics who know next to nothing about either the Hakka experience or how their cuisine evolved and captured India’s heart. This can be countered by informing them that Hakka cuisine is available in other places too, including Taiwan and across South East Asia, but has led to a new, indigenous culinary genre only in India. A lot depends on the narrative and the confidence with which it is put forth. The evolution of Chinese food in India is unique on many counts. While Chinatowns came up in many parts of the world nowhere did Chinese immigrants encounter such varied and strongly rooted local culinary traditions as in India. They also faced strict dietary taboos—no beef or no pork depending on places, and in some cases no non-vegetarian proteins at all— and a lack of crucial ingredients. In spite of that the Hakka Chinese managed to craft a cuisine that captivated Indian palates so much that Indian cooks and restaurateurs also took to it. The result was dishes like Gobi Manchurian and Chilli Chicken (or paneer, potato, fish!) that anyone not familiar with India—like most western food critics—would find utterly sacrilegious and alien. Such ignoramuses need more exposure to Chindian favourites so that they realise it is a genre not an abomination. Chindian food does have two well-known parallels, Tex-Mex and American-Italian. Both are American—hybrids of popular cuisines that evolved to suit local palates and garnered legitimacy and respect despite detractors who alleged lack of “authenticity”. These American avatars are not competing with “original” Mexican or Italian cuisines which have diverse regional specialities; rather they represent a natural progression of taste as a consequence of migration. As does Chindian. Hakka is the base of the Chindian genre, and the community’s tragic history of persecution also made their cuisine perfect for adaptation in India. As Hakkas (“guests”) were driven south from various areas in China over centuries, they picked up elements of regional cuisines as they had to make do with local ingredients. Finally, they arrived in India and adapted once again. And Indians deftly coopted it just as they had done with earlier foreign flavours. For their restaurant in Kolkata, her Katherine’s family makes dishes Bengalis have come to adore, redolent of soy, garlic and chilli. Yet they have also kept alive their traditional dishes, which Katherine is now showcasing to acclaim all over India. Hakka food is not ‘haute’ and pretty; it is hearty and tasty instead, concepts that echo the ethos of our Indian cuisines. This could be the very reason why Indians took to Hakka innovations like no other regional Chinese cuisines. But the Chinese and much of the world have the same attitude to Hakka cuisine as to its Chindian offspring: is it Chinese? The short retort is, does it matter? Like Tex-Mex and American-Italian, both are tasty and popular. Indian Chinese restaurant chains such as Mainland China and, more recently, Chowman have successfully tapped this popularity without hyphenating the two countries or cuisines. Neither pushes authenticity to the point of ignoring Indian palates. There are innumerable outlets from tony restaurants to streetside kiosks selling Chindian fare (of differing quality) to establish its credentials as a genre. What it needs, though, is an elevation in status. A famous Indian-owned restaurant daring to serve a new genre of Chinese cuisine in London would make many sit up and want to know more instead of pontificating about authenticity or quibbling about prices. It would create the opening to ‘talk up’ Hakka and Chindian legacies. But it may be unfair to expect House of Ming to be so daring. Still, Indians, especially the cosmopolitan ones, need to stop sounding apologetic or derogatory about this genre and its distinctive flavours. India has stopped being diffident in many spheres; this one deserves similar forthright endorsement. A lot can happen if India and Indians put their weight behind it. A name other than Chindian for this amazing genre could prove helpful too. Suggestions are welcome! The author is a freelance writer. 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