Andhra Pradesh Jewish community sustains tradition through food
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In Yerajerla, a village in Prakasam district, Andhra Pradesh, India, ten Jewish families maintain their heritage by cooking traditional dishes.
Ravi Shemesh’s family recently prepared pappu charu, a sour lentil broth common in coastal Andhra Pradesh, to serve relatives after a funeral. They cooked it outdoors over a wood fire, a practice that also alerts their neighbours to when they are preparing meat, which they often share.
Ravi’s mother, Sippora, known as Chittemma at home, learned the recipes from her husband’s mother, Lakshmi, who lived to age 92. The Shemesh family continues to cook these dishes in the same way they have for generations, using both modern indoor kitchens and traditional outdoor stoves. The community in Yerajerla originated with Ravi’s father, and the act of cooking and sharing food strengthens their bonds as a small but enduring group.
