Food And Mappila Identity Formation: An Ethno-Historical Study On The Ramadan Fasting And Nercca Cuisine In South Malabar

Abstract

This research article examines the role of food in the identity formation of the Mappila Muslim community of South Malabar, a region on the northern part of the state of Kerala, India, by analysing their food culture during the month of Ramadan and festival of Nercca, a variant of saint worship. The Mappilas are descendants of Arab traders who settled in Malabar and intermarried with the locals. In the course of time Mappilas developed a unique food culture that reflected their hybrid identity, religious beliefs, and historical experiences. This article analyses how the Mappila food practices related with Ramadan fasting and nercca shaped their community identity along with the influence of local culture and colonialism. The article uses ethnographic and historical methods, drawing on primary and secondary sources such as oral narratives, cookbooks, archival documents, fieldwork, interviews, observations, and literature review. The main argument of this article is that food is a powerful medium for expressing and negotiating identity, and that the Mappila cuisine connected with Ramdan fasting and Nercca is a rich and complex manifestation of their cultural heritage.