The 2000-Year-Old Jews of India: Zilka Joseph on a Forgotten History | The Literature Lounge

This episode of The Literature Lounge is an archaeological dig into the deep, forgotten fabric of India.

Author Zilka Joseph excavates the 2,000-year story of the Bene Israel Jews—from their ancient arrival on the Konkan coast to the sweet, shared rituals that bind communities—revealing a history that predates modern nations and lives on in a handful of flattened rice.

A conversation about the flavors that outlast empires and the quiet matriarchs who cooked a culture into being.

What this episode is REALLY about

• Not a single narrative.
• Not an isolated identity.
• Not just recipes.

It’s about:

• A 2,000-year-old community living in India centuries before it was “India”
• The shock of ancient roots: arrival in 175 BCE, woven into the Konkan coast
• Sweet Malida: a ceremonial dish that cools the body and connects the spirit
• Food as shared language: coconut, festivals, and common tables with all neighbours
• The unthanked mothers and grandmothers who are the true archivists
• A global family: finding kinship with Jamaican, African, and all Jews of Colour
• The mission: to peel back layers and reveal histories older than Europe’s

If you believe a country’s soul is found in its oldest stories and shared meals, this episode is a revelation.

✅ Subscribe To Our Channel:   / theliteraturelounge   Stay updated!🔔

Follow Us On

The Literature Lounge

► Instagram:   / litlounge_pod  

► LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-literature-lounge/

Connect with the Host: Mohua Chinappa

►Instagram:   / mohua_chinappa  

►LinkedIn:   / mohua-chinappa 

►For any queries, EMAIL: hello@themohuashow.com

Copyright ©2025 The Literature Lounge. All Rights Reserved

Disclaimer: The views expressed by our guests are their own. We do not endorse and are not responsible for any opinions expressed by our guests on our Show and its associated platforms.

#JewishHistory, #IndianCulture, #ForgottenHistory, #FoodMemories, #Diaspora

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.