Kashmiri Wazwan: Celebration of Food, Culture and People

By Arka Chakarborty

In a world where school history textbooks have trained us to associate our national, regional and local culture with political history, architecture, wars and paintings, food is a domain that, as an aspect of culture, remains largely unaddressed. This is unfortunate and rather surprising as food the vast array of human activity surrounding it are integral parts of our daily lives. India as a nation is comprised of numerous territories with diverse cultural landscapes and food certainly is an aspect of our lived histories that lends these different landscapes their distinctive flavors. Kashmir, the northernmost region of the Indian nation-state, is also adorned by a culinary culture that has shaped its identity. Cultural boundaries, moreover, are quite fluid and in an age of globalization and efficient communication, some of the cultural uniqueness in terms of the culinary arts that defined certain regions and localities are being challenged and in some cases erased. In such an era, wazwan continues to be a culinary experience that roots Kashmir’s food in a deep history of its own. Wazwan, in short, is an irreplaceable part of the Kashmiri identity.

Like most famous culinary traditions, there is no documentary evidence authenticating the origin and journey of wazwan in Kashmir. Word of mouth is the only ‘source’ to go by when exploring the beginnings of wazwan. While some claim that wazwan originated in Iran and came to Kashmir from there, most sources agree that this culinary art form came to the Indian subcontinent with the 14 th century warlord Timur “The Lame.” As with most medieval armies, Timur’s was also accompanied by an equally large group of auxiliary forces consisting of blacksmiths, woodworkers and, most importantly for this narrative, cooks. Many of these cooks who brought with them Central Asian (Turkish, Afghan and Iranian) ideas of food preparation and the proper way of food consumption eventually settled down in Kashmir. These traditions that they brought in became famous during the reign of Kashmir’s eighth sultan Zain-al Abidin, interacted with local traditions, were passed down from one generation of cooks to another and were eventually identified as what we now understand to be wazwan.

Etymologically speaking, the word ‘wazwan’ is comprised of two words: ‘waz’ and ‘wan.’ The word ‘waz’ means ‘cook’ and ‘wan’ means ‘shop.’ Therefore, the word ‘wazwan’ indicates the exhibition of food. Those who have experienced wazwan understand the sheer truth of this etymological meaning.

The skilled cooks who have carried forward the tradition of wazwan inter-generationally are known as ‘waza.’ They band together as communities and live in different parts of the valley. For example, a small section of the old Srinagar city is called ‘Wazpora’ because it is inhabited by a community of wazas. Some of these cooks are famous for their craft and patrons compete to get them to cook in their special occasions. In an era where patrons generally choose between different catering services to suit their interests, it is amazing to learn that many families set the dates of their special occasions in accordance with the availability of the wazas they prefer.

The process of a wazwan begins when the potential patrons contact the potential waza with their order, sometimes months prior to the actual event since the most celebrated wazas are booked for months in advance. When a date is agreed upon, the waza collects relevant information from his patrons such as the number of people expected in this event and the kinds of dishes the patrons would expect. The waza then orders sheep and other ingredients according to the needs of his patrons. Sheep and Lamb meat are considered ideal for a wazwan. On the day of the occasion, the cooking process begins before sunrise- around 3 AM. Unlike modern restaurant industry where the meat is cooled in freezers for days before it is cooked, a wazwan requires the sheep to be slaughtered only hours before the cooking process begins. After the sheep is slaughtered, the fresh meat is beaten till the nerves dissolve and the meat is of perfect consistency. Wazas come to these occasions in groups where a strict hierarchy of command is maintained. The head cook, called ‘vasta waza’ or ‘wasta waza,’ takes upon himself some light physical workload since his real job is to supervise the whole food preparation process. During this process, wazas speak to each other in a code language that only they understand in order to ensure efficiency and focus. Different cuts of meat are made and then kept separately for different dishes. Unlike a general food preparation process in India where mainly spices are added during the cooking process in order to add flavor to the dishes in question, in the case of wazwan flavor is added before the cooking process begins by adding flavored water to the pre-cooked preparation, soaking the pre- cooked preparation in flavored water or adding flavored smoke to the same. These flavoring blends are made not from spices but from herbs and flowers. Flowers like Cockscomb are responsible for the red dye in the food, for example. In a wazwan, the dishes are cooked in nickel-plated copper vessels on dried wood. This slow, simmering cooking process gives the food an altogether different taste than the food prepared by the modern restaurant industry which prioritizes speed. The number of mouth-watering dishes offered in a wazwan varies from seven to thirty-six based on the requirement of the patrons, the number of guests expected and the skills of the wazas engaged.

The serving and consumption of the food are dictated by norms or etiquettes specific to wazwan and has been followed for centuries. In every wazwan, four people are expected to sit together around large copper plates called ‘tream’ or ‘trami’ on spotless while sheets laid upon Kashmiri carpets in the dining space (Dastarkhwan) and enjoy their meals from the same plate. This is because the wazas believe in breaking down the barriers around caste identities by sharing food from the same plate. The etiquette of wazwan itself inspires equality. Moreover, the guests are expected to eat their food with their bare hands as the Kashmiris, like most Indians, have traditionally believed in an intimate relationship with their food. At first, the diners are presented the hourglass-shaped copper utensil called ‘Tasht-e-Naer’ with which their hands are washed and wastewater is collected. Thereafter, the first sequence of food items is presented, a sequence that includes mayth-maz, seekh kebab and tabaq-maz (ribs cooked in ghee). As stated before, a wazwan consists of a long sequence of food items and the diners are expected to finish every course. The idea of refusing to eat a food variety or a second helping is frowned upon. The servers also keep the sequence of dishes in a way that encourages more consumption. For example, radish chutney is offered between two heavy meat dishes in order to increase digestion. Some of the famous dishes without which a wazwan seems incomplete are, as follows- daniwal korma, sabz haakh, marchwagun korma, aab gosht, rogan josh, rishta etc. No matter how varied the entire meal is, a wazwan always ends with goshtaba or gushtaba, a curd-based creamy lamb meat curry the serving of which indicates the end of the meal. People often have fresh rice before this dish in order to appreciate its texture and flavor fully. In some wazwans, the Kashmiri tea Kahwa is presented after the end of a meal in order to make the experience even more memorable.

Wazwan is a culinary tradition that is enjoyed to the fullest by every inhabitant of the valley irrespective of religious affiliations. However, it is important to mention that the Kashmiri Pandits have their own distinctive tradition when it comes to wazwan. This is partially because of the fact that they traditionally never used onion, garlic, tomatoes, chicken and eggs in their meals. Although some practices have changed, the use of onion and garlic is still restricted and this has had an impact in differentiating the Kashmiri Pandit cuisine in significant ways from other communities of the valley. Several communities of the valley partaking in the same tradition while respecting their subtle differences is the essence of Kashmiriyat that the inhabitants of the valley are proud of and wazwan in many ways embodies this idea.

In spite of the centuries-long tradition of Kashmiri culture the wazwan represents, it has come under some scrutiny in recent years. Some researchers claim that despite its nutrient-rich nature, wazwan feasts are not permissible for people suffering with diabetes, obesity, chronic liver disease or kidney disease because of its high caloric and protein content. Moreover, the Jammu & Kashmir government was concerned with the high food wastage that accompanies some of the more lavish wazwan feasts and hence in 2017 it passed a law prohibiting wazwan feasts from going beyond seven vegetarian and seven non-vegetarian courses. In recent decades, the number of wazas has been decreasing since many young members of waza families have shifted to other professions. The reinvigoration of tourism in Kashmir, however, has breathed a new life into wazwan. Many restaurants and food delivery services such as J. J. Foods are now offering some of the more iconic wazwan dishes in a manner that is convenient for locals and tourists alike. There are examples of people travelling from places as far off as Kerala in order to experience the authentic Kashmiri wazwan and this new partnership between the traditional wazwan and the modern restaurant industry in Kashmir is sure to give the tradition a new life in a fast-paced, competitive world.