Ukunambitheka Okwathonya Izwe

Ngumlobeli we-Phaphama! eNdiya

EKHULWINI le-13 leminyaka, uMarco Polo wazibona ziyinala. UChristopher Columbus wahamba ngomkhumbi eyozifuna kodwa kunalokho wathola iZwe Elisha. Ekhulwini le-15 leminyaka, ekugcineni uVasco da Gama wafika eNdiya ngomkhumbi futhi waziletha kubathengi abanentshiseko eYurophu. Ngempela, izinongo zazaziswa kakhulu kangangoba amadoda afaka ukuphila kwawo engozini ukuze azithole!

Lapho izinguquko zezombangazwe zivala izindlela zamakalishi ezinqamula amazwe, uVasco da Gama wasebenzisa iminyaka emibili esohambweni lomkhumbi olwaluhlanganisa amakhilomitha angu-39 000 aluthatha kusukela ePortugal wagudla amaphethelo eAfrika elibangise eNdiya wayesebuyela emuva. Emibili yemikhumbi yakhe yasinda kuloluhambo, ibuya nomthwalo wezinongo nezinye izimpahla ezazinenani eliphinda izindleko zohambo izikhathi ezingu-60! Kodwa ukuphumelela kohambo lwakhe kwafaka amazwe aseYurophu engxabanweni. Eminyakeni engamakhulu amathathu eyalandela, iPortugal, iSpain, iFrance, iHolland, neGreat Britain zancintisanela ukulawula imithombo yezinongo.

Omunye umlobi wafushanisa umlando wezinongo ngokuthi “indaba yohambo oluyingozi, ukuhlola, ubuqhawe nokuvukelana okushubile kwasolwandle.” UFrederic Rosengarten, Jr., wathi kuyi-Book of Spices: “Izinongo zaziwusizo kakhulu, eqinisweni zibalulekile, kokubili ngokombangazwe nangokomnotho, kangangoba amakhosi athumela abantu ohambweni lokufunwa kwazo, abathengisi babedela ukuphila nengcebo ukuze bahwebe ngazo, kwakulwiwa izimpi ngenxa yazo, imiphakathi yagqilazwa, umhlaba wahlolwa, futhi izinguquko ezinkulu njengenkathi yokuvuselela zalethwa yilomncintiswano wobudlwangudlwangu, ononya.”

Lapho abantu baseNetherlands belawula ibhizinisi lezinongo, bakhuphula intengo kapelepele ngosheleni abahlanu iphawundu elilodwa lapho bewuthengisela iBrithani. Linengwe yilokhu, iqembu labathengisi baseLondon lahlangana ngo-1599 ukuze lisungule inkampani yalo yokuhweba, kamuva eyaziwa ngokuthi i-East India Company. Ithonya lalenkampani ekugcineni laholela eminyakeni engaphezu kuka-300 yokubuswa kweNdiya yiBrithani.

Umncintiswano oshubile usuphelile, kodwa ukuthandwa kwezinongo emhlabeni wonke kusaqhubeka. Futhi mhlawumbe ayikho indawo lapho izinongo zijatshulelwa kakhulu khona ukwedlula lapha eNdiya.

Uthando Lwezinongo

Izinongo nendlela yokupheka yaseNdiya kuhambisana kakhulu kangangoba umuntu angase athi lelizwe linothando lwezinongo. Eqinisweni, ubani ongakaze ezwe ngo-curry wamaNdiya—ukudla okusasitshulu kwemifino, amaqanda, inyama ebomvu, inhlanzi, noma inkukhu enongwe ngezinhlobonhlobo zezinongo eziconsisa amathe? Ezinye zalezinongo ziyatholakala futhi nakophuthini, okuqinisekisa ukuthi elithi “kunezinongo” alifani nelithi “okubabayo.” Ngisho netiye elinoshukela elithakwe ngobisi elithandwa kakhulu lapha ngokuvamile linongwa ngengcosana ye-cardamom, ama-clove, ujinja, noma inhlanganisela yezinongo. Njengoba bethanda ukudla izinongo ezinjalo, ingabe kuyamangalisa ukuthi ekudleni izinongo komuntu ngamunye, iNdiya iphuma phambili?

Ake uvakashele nje ikhishi lompheki waseNdiya, futhi uyokhangwa amashumi ezinongo ezinemibala nokubukeka okuhlukahlukene. Phakathi kwazo kukhona izimbewu ezincane ezimnyama zesinaphi; izinti ezinsundu ze-cinnamon ezinephunga elimnandi; imidumba eluhlaza ye-cardamom; i-turmeric enhle esagolide; ujinja ophaphathekile, omaholoholo; nopelepele abababayo ababomvu klebhu. Qhathanisa loluhide nebhodlela elilodwa lempuphu ka-curry elitholakala ezitolo zokudla emazweni amaningi. Yebo, impuphu ka-curry inayo inhlanganisela yezinongo ezihlukahlukene, futhi ifeza injongo ethile. Kodwa ayinakuthatha isikhundla senhlanganisela yezinongo—ezibizwa ngokuthi ama-masala—ezisetshenziswa eNdiya.

Ama-masala akhethekile, aselungele ukusetshenziswa enzelwe ukudla okuhlukahlukene, kuhlanganise nemifino, inhlanzi, inkukhu, nenyama ebomvu. Kodwa ngokuvame kakhulu, izinongo ezihlukahlukene zithakwa ngaso kanye isikhathi sokupheka, uhlobo nobuningi bazo kuye ngohlobo lokudla. Umama wasekhaya ongumNdiya oyingcweti wazi ukulandelana okuqondile nesikhathi esifanele lapho isinongo ngasinye kufanele senezelwe enqubweni yokupheka. Angakhipha ngisho nokunambitheka okuhlukahlukene esinongweni esifanayo ngokusithosa, ngokusigaya, ngokusifaka sinjalo emafutheni ashisayo, noma ngokusithaka nezinye izinongo.

Izivakashi zaseNdiya ngokuvamile zimangazwa izinhlobonhlobo eziningi zezindlela zokulungiselela ukudla. Ngaphandle kokwehlukahluka okukhulu kwendlela yokupheka yaseNyakatho neyaseNingizimu Ndiya, amasiko esifunda alelozwe, njengawaseBengal, eGoa, eGujarat, nasePunjab, anezindlela zawo siqu eziyingqayizivele zokulungiselela ukudla. Izinkolelo ezingokwenkolo nazo zithonya indlela ukudla okuphekwa ngayo. Ngakho, esifundazweni saseGujarat, umuntu angase adle imifino engokwesiko yamaHindu, kodwa engxenyeni esenyakatho yeNdiya angase ajabulele ukudla okusanyama kwesiMogul, isikhumbuzo sezinsuku zobuqhawe bamaMuslim. Ngakho ukudla ezinsukwini ezihlukahlukene nemikhaya yamaHindu, amaMuslim, amaSikh, amaJain, amaParsi, neyamaKristu kungaphumela ekudleni ukudla okuhlukahlukene.

Izimo Ezifanele Zokutshala Izinongo

Nakuba izinongo zimila emhlabeni jikelele, iNdiya ikhiqiza ngaphezu kwanoma yiliphi elinye izwe—izinhlobo ezingafani ezingaphezu kuka-60. Futhi ithumela izinongo nemikhiqizo yezinongo ingagayiwe futhi iyimpuphu emazweni angaphezu kwangu-160. INingizimu Ndiya ihamba phambili ekukhiqizweni kwezinongo kulelozwe. Njengoba ngokuvamile ibizwa ngokuthi “iVenice YaseMpumalanga” ngenxa yobuhle bayo nemisele yamanzi eminingi, iCochin, esoLwandle lwaseArabiya, inikeza ithuba eliqondile lokuthola izinongo eziye zachuma isikhathi eside esimweni sezulu esivundisayo, nesishisayo ngasogwini lwaseMalabar.

Itheku laseCochin liye lasebenza njengemakethe yokuhwebelana yomhlaba wonke kusukela ezikhathini zasendulo, yabantu basePhoenicia, abaseGibithe, abasePersia amaShayina, amaRoma, amaGreki, nabaseArabiya. Ngokuthakazelisayo, incwadi yeBhayibheli yesAmbulo ikhuluma ‘ngabathengisi bomhlaba’ ababhizinisi labo lalihlanganisa “nezitsha zonke zamazinyo endlovu, . . . nokinamona, nokunephunga elimnandi.”—IsAmbulo 18:11-13.

Upelepele omnyama, owaziwa ‘njengenkosi yezinongo,’ wawuyinto eyinhloko eyayifunwa abahwebi. Wawungesona nje isinongo sokudla kuphela kodwa futhi wawungumlondolozi obalulekile wenyama nokunye ukudla okubolayo. Ngokufaka izinongo, ukudla okwakungase kubole futhi kungabi nalusizo kwakungalondolozwa isikhathi esingangonyaka noma ngaphezulu ngaphandle kokufakwa esiqandisini. Ngaphandle kukapelepele, abahwebi abavela kamuva bafisela ezinye izinongo—i-cardamom, i-coriander, i-fennel, ne-fenugreek, uma sibala nje ezimbalwa.

Nokho, akuzona zonke izinongo ezitsha-lwa eNdiya ezavela lapha. Ngokwesibonelo, upelepele obabayo wavela eNingizimu Melika. UDkt. C. V. Raman, umzuzi ongumNdiya womklomelo kaNobel emkhakheni we-physics, wake wathi ‘konke ukudla kuduma futhi akudleki ngaphandle kukapelepele obabayo.’ Abaningi abakhuliswa ngokudla okuhlukile bangase bangavumi. Kodwa ngokujabulisayo, inqolobane yomhlaba yagcwaliswa kahle ngokudla okuyizinhlobo eziningi uMdali onothando, enelisa izifiso eziphikisana ngokunamandla.

Akuzona Nje Izinongo Zokudla

Izinongo zinomlando othakazelisayo. IBhayibheli lifaka indima yezinongo emafutheni okugcoba, impepho, namakha. Likhuluma ngokusetshenziswa kwezinongo emafutheni angcwele okugcoba nasempephweni eyayisetshenziswa ethempelini likaJehova eJerusalema futhi likhuluma ngezinongo ezithelwa ewayinini. (Eksodusi 30:23-25, 34-37; IsiHlabelelo SeziHlabelelo 8:2) Ngaphezu kwalokho, iBhayibheli lembula ukuthi amaKristu okuqala eza nezinongo ukuze alungiselele ukungcwatshwa komzimba kaJesu Kristu.—Johane 19:39, 40.

Kulelizwe, izizukulwane zamantombazane amaNdiya ziye zasebenzisa impande ekhanyayo esagolide yesitshalo esihlobene nojinja—i-turmeric. Uketshezi lwe-turmeric lugcotshwa esikhunjeni ukuze luthuthukise isimo saso. Namuhla, izimboni eziningi zamakha nezimonyo zisebenzisa amafutha avela kuyi-allspice, caraway, cinnamon, cassia, ama-clove, nutmeg, mace, rosemary, ne-cardamom ekuthakweni kwamafutha ahwamuka ngokushesha nashubile ukuze kwenziwe amashumi amakha ahehayo. Lezithako ziyenezelwa futhi ensiphweni, impuphu ye-talc, uketshezi olugcotshwa ngemva kokushefa, amakha omzimba, iziqedaphunga zomlomo, nezinye izinto ezingenakubalwa.

Ngaphandle kwalokho, kudala izinongo bezilokhu zisetshenziselwa izinjongo zokwelapha. Ujinja, i-turmeric, isweli, i-cardamom, upelepele obabayo, ama-clove, ne-saffron kuphakathi kwezinongo ezituswa yi-Ayurveda, isayensi yokwelapha ekhulunyelwa emibhalweni yamaHindu yesiSanskrit, amaVeda. Ovakashela ikhemisi laseNdiya namuhla usazothola i-turmeric umuthi wezilonda namanxeba okusha, umuthi wokugeza amazinyo onezinongo ezingu-13, namashumi eminye imikhiqizo yezinongo yezinhlungu ezihlukahlukene.

Ngakho, ukubukeza umlando wezinongo kubonisa ukuthi ngaphandle kwazo, ukukhetha ukudla bekuyoba okuhlukile, imithi yayingeke ifane, futhi umlando wawuyoqhubeka ngendlela ehlukile. Ukuthanda izinongo ngempela kwathonya izwe lethu—ngezindlela eziningi.

[Izithombe ekhasini 23]

Isibonelo esincane sezinongo eziningi ezithandwayo emhlabeni jikelele

Umthengisi wasemgwaqweni elinganisela umthengi izinongo

Izinongo ezilinde abathengi esitolo saseCochin