The Taste of Diaspora

Like all tourists, when I came to the UK I wanted to make sure that before I left I had tried the most popular British of foods. Hungry and curious, I immediately starting asking around, what is the most popular British Dish? Apart from the obvious bangers and mash, mushy peas, hot cross buns, time and time again people claimed that I must try chicken tikka masala. After some investigation I found that this dish was voted the most popular dish in the UK. Also in 2009, motions were being made in the parliament to grant this dish European union status of protected origin in Glasgow, UK. And so I thought hey, that sounds like an opportunity to eat a new tasty meal, and then blog about it after. I was told that you can order this dish in any pub in the UK. So I tested the theory. I went to the closest pub which happened to be the Sunnyside Hungryhorse which is not more than a hop skip away from park campus.

Sure enough, on the menu was the dish I was looking for. So I ordered the chicken I am happy to report that it was deee-lish!

So what does this tasty dish have to do with diaspora? The answer is EVERYTHING!

If you saw the dish before you knew what it was called, you would immediately know that this is not a traditional English dish. Why? Not only because there is actually spice present in the dish, but there is curry. Not only is the chicken smoldered in a tasty curry coconut and masala sauce, but it is also served with naan bread and mango chutney. Naan bread and mango chutney is not traditional English food, but common sides served with South Asian dishes. Being that this particular South Asian dish (just as one example) has made it on the menu in many British pubs, this points to the adoption of South Asian cuisine and culture into British dominant society. This further points to groups of people who have migrated to the UK in the form of a diaspora. The certain ethnic group responsible for the introduction of this fabulous dish are the individuals who migrated from South Asia. The presence of this dish in a traditional style British pub (that is, not specializing in ethnic cuisine) signifies and illustrates evidence of Northampton and the UK in the larger pictures diasporic history.
Diaspora is not just about one group moving into the host society and adapting the ways of the host society, but is also about the host society changing as a result of the newcomers. In this day and age, ethnic cuisine is all the rage everywhere you go. When you are in America you will see countless signs for traditional Japanese, Chinese, Indian or Thai cuisine. In Europe I was pleasantly surprised to see many restaurants specializing in traditional American diner food. Not only is the spread of food to different parts of the world great business but it also often tell-tale of the history of the evolving make-up of a nation of peoples, often pointing to diasporic histories. Therefore, the introduction of new foods is a great example of how a host society can be enriched by diasporic peoples. Chicken tikka masala on the menu in a British pub is a great example of cultural hybridity or Avtar Brah's third space. Also since this dish, which may have been modified in order to cater to the palates of the British is neither fully south Asian nor British but a product of the two cultures mixed in the form of a tasty dish!