Food Culture in Colonial Asia A Taste of Empire [Paperback]

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 preparing 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.

Introduction  1. What Empire Builders Ate  2. The Colonial Appropriation of Curry  3. Servants of Empire: the Role and Representation of Domestic Servants  4. Leisure and Segregation: Clubs, Hill Stations and Resthouses  5. Dirt and Disease 6. Conclusion

[T]he book yields a well nuanced portrait of one aspect, some would say a key aspect, of colonial life. - Ilsa Sharp; Options, February 13th 2012

[An] impressive piece of scholarship... this is a remarkable book by any standard: it offers fresh insights on the social history of British colonialism and should be read by students, historians and anyone interested in the British imperial history. - Anne Palmer, University of Newcastle, Singapore; TMC Academic Journal, lƒÊ