AS A CHILD GROWING UP in Orange County , California , Nyssa P . Chopra ’ 07 found great comfort in her mother ’ s traditional Punjabi cuisine . It wasn ’ t until later that she learned the backstory — including poverty , oppression and forced migration — behind some of these well-loved dishes .
Chopra ’ s grandparents had resided in the Northern Punjab region of British India and had grown accustomed to a lavish lifestyle they had built over generations . But with the Indian Independence Act of 1947 , the area was divided into Pakistan and India , and with the threat of religious violence , Chopra ’ s family fled with only what they could carry on their backs . As they crossed over the newly established border into India , they became part of what is generally regarded as the largest mass migration in human history — a movement that saw more than 14 million people become displaced overnight . As refugees in a new country , they had to adapt many of their previous practices and traditions , even in the kitchen .
“ Eating meat at the time was a sign of prestige and social status ,” says Chopra . “ When my grandparents fled Lahore to the Indian side , they couldn ’ t afford meat anymore and instead changed to a vegetarian lifestyle . To this day , my mother is still a vegetarian , because that is all she has ever known .”
Over time , her grandparents rebuilt their lives in the rural lands of Punjab , India . Chopra ’ s parents were later married and lived in Mumbai before moving to California in the early 1980s .
Faced with a new culture and language , her mother was challenged by her new home , yet attempted to continue the legacy of traditional Punjabi dishes even without having access to authentic ingredients .
“ I love the interconnectedness between food and culture ," says Chopra . " Each person brings a bit of their own culture , their own history , and their own upbringing through the foods they create for you .”
As a way to connect her children to a homeland thousands of miles away , Chopra ' s mother experimented with new ways to recreate traditional dishes . She can recall her mother ’ s inventive way of making paneer , a type of cheese in India , adapting her cooking to what was available at her grocery store in the U . S .
“ The closest thing she found was ricotta cheese and that ’ s what I grew up eating ,” says Chopra . “ I didn ’ t actually know any better until I got older ,” she laughs .
Today , Chopra is curating a collection of stories and recipes from three generations into a new cookbook , Sapphire & Spice . It is the story of a family ' s journey through the lens of food .
“ I want to connect the past to the future and preserve my family ’ s history so it is accessible to future generations who will not have the privilege of hearing these first-hand stories from their ancestors ,” says Chopra . “ I want future family members to know the richness of their history and culture and take comfort in the idea that a piece of that history is always only one recipe away .”
What does food mean to your family ? Tell us at : tritonmag @ ucsd . edu
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