A Colorful And Tasty Holiday

Spring is the time of year when there are many colorful holidays . There is Purim and Easter along with the Indian Holi. This is when people are gleefully hit with colorful powders. Clouds of yellow, green and pink are seen floating through the air as people celebrate the escape of Prahlad a devotee of the god Vishnu. Like any joyous holy day, it is also celebrated with tasty dishes and treats.

Yesterday's New York Times Dining section had an interesting article about the Guyanese version of it called Phagwah. Times regular , Julia Moskin wrote about it and the tasty dishes that the city's Guyanese population create for this time. The Guyanese were originally shipped, more or less, in indentured servitude to British Guiana (there were also Europeans and Asians involved in this as well) to work on the many sugar cane plantations. They retained their customs and foods, also incorporating South American spices and ingredients into their cuisine. What resulted was a hybrid cuisine combing the best of an ancient culture with the flavors of the New World.

The Guyanese in New York have a very tasty array of treats. There are chickpeas with curry sauce along with the English black pudding flavored with red peppers called wiri-wiri. The stars, though, are banana beignets made with ripe banana . This is a mix of mashed bananas flavored with almonds and vanilla and a fragrant dough ,laced with cinnamon and nutmeg. These are fried as with any fritter and then served with powdered sugar. This last is probably based on the Indian shakapara which are fried bread balls covered with powdered sugar. The Indian Holi sounds a bit wilder with drinks laced with a form of cannabis called bhang.

Whether it's Holi or Phagwah, it's a time of celebration and feasting. Young and old make and eat time honored dishes and just have fun. It's a time to enjoy Spring.