The Migration Menu

Luke Heslop and James Staples
  • 0.0 (0)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
  • UPDATED WEEKLY
The Migration Menu

Journey from South Asia to West London through food as we explore migration, globalisation, entrepreneurship, and cultural heritage.   In the series, Prof James Staples and Dr Luke Heslop, anthropologists from Brunel University London, talk to restaurateurs and others about what food from their homeland means to them and why. They explore the rich array of culinary traditions that have made their way from South Asia and been made anew in West London, using food as an entry point to wider discussions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episodes

  1. Reflections: Q&A with James and Luke

    08/20/2024

    Reflections: Q&A with James and Luke

    Reflections: Q&A with James and Luke    This week we look back on the series, respond to questions and comments from our listeners, chat with Geeta Ludhra about Southall, and look forward to series 2.    We also hear from Dr, Geeta Ludhra, Senior Lecturer in Education at Brunel University London, as she reflects on her visits to Southall as a child and her grandmother’s Jalebi dipped in milk.     **Introduction** (0:00 – 2:49)   (Starter)   -Luke and James reflect on their podcast journey and the taste for this episode    **Questions and Answers** (2:50 – 28:27)   (Main)   -James and Luke answer questions related to the podcast, from their favourite dishes to gender division and decolonisation.  - Geetha shares her reflections on visits to Southall (18:55 – 24:13)    **Technical barriers and last reflections** (31:40 – 37:22)   (Dessert)   -James and Luke discuss the learning curve of producing a podcast and some challenges they faced with the technology.     **Closing Remarks and Acknowledgments** (37:23 – 39:10)   The Migration Menu has been brought to you by James Staples and Luke Heslop, with help from Tina Boulton, Esther Opoku Debra and Vimal Dalal. If you have any questions or comments for us, send them in and we will address them in a future show, you can get in touch at info@themigrationmenu.com.  Or on ‘X’ - formerly Twitter: @migration_menu.       For a list of academic literature on these topics and more, please see the list of extended bibliography on the references page or click here.      People  Dr. Geeta Ludhra   Website: https://www.brunel.ac.uk/people/geeta-ludhra    Anneeka Ludhra –  Website: https://anniradhika.wordpress.com/  Book https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dadimas-Celebrating-Grandmothers-Through-Cooking/dp/190799825X    For more information, please visit our website: https://themigrationmenu.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    39 min
  2. One Woman Army

    08/13/2024

    One Woman Army

    This week the food came to James and Luke, from Alaisha Kaishyap, owner of the tiffin delivery brand, The London Food Company. An example of the growing band of home cooks catering to hungry international students and others missing the food of home, they are also joined by a group of PhD students to reflect on their own food ways.  **Introduction** (0:00 – 6:24) (Starter)  -James and Luke introduce Aalisha Kaishyap, who started the London Food Company and is also Brunel Alumni. They outline the significance of the “Dabbawala” and caste.  **Interview** (6:25 – 28:27) (Main)  -James and Luke are joined by some Brunel Students, as well as Devanshi Chanchani. They discuss similarities between their respective South Asian foods.  **Post interview discussion** (28:28 – 32:04) (Dessert)  -James and Luke discuss the rise of home cooks and entrepreneurship, they locate it within gender and authenticity.  **Closing Remarks and acknowledgments** (32:05 – 32:37) The Migration Menu has been brought to you by James Staples and Luke Heslop, with help from Tina Boulton, Esther Opoku Debra and Vimal Dalal. If you have any questions or comments for us, send them in and we will address them in a future show, you can get in touch at info@themigrationmenu.com. Or on ‘X’ - formerly Twitter: @migration_menu.       Menu dishes eaten:  Szechuan Chicken  Karahi Chicken with Jeera Rice  Rogan Josh  Pav Bhaji  To see images for this episode, click here.  Literature mentioned:  Pathak, G. S. 2010. Delivering the Nation: The Dabbawalas of Mumbai, South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies, 33(2), 235-257  Staples, J. 2016. Food, Commensality and Caste in South Asia, Klein, JA. & Watson, JL. The Handbook of Food and Anthropology. Bloomsbury, 74-93.   Sucharita, K. 2023. Home Chefs: Indian Households Produce for the Global Creator Economy  For a list of academic literature on these topics and more, please see the list of extended bibliography on the references page or click here.   Guest speakers:   Aalisha Kaishyap  Devanshi Chanchani  Namarata Harish Bandana Adhikary  Udita Bose  Ahrabie Kirubasuthan     For more information, please visit our website: https://themigrationmenu.com/   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    33 min
  3. Short Eats Not Short Cuts

    08/06/2024

    Short Eats Not Short Cuts

    This week James and Luke headed way out west, to Pinner, to visit a new Sri Lankan restaurant called Yako. Following a tour of the Grade II listed building in which they have recently set up shop, they sat down to a colossal meal and to hear the story of Yako’s founder, Darshana Wathadura, A.K.A Dash.  **Introduction** (0:00 – 3:39) (Starter)  -Luke outlines the significance of the Yako symbol, the restaurant’s namesake.  **Interview** (3:40 – 23:41) (Main)  -Darshana recounts the difficulties he had with settling in the UK. He also details the importance of authenticity in the success and potential breakout of the restaurant.  **Post interview discussion** (23:42 – 28:44)  (Dessert)  Luke and James discuss the menu items and how 'authentic' they are. **Closing Remarks and acknowledgments** (28:44 -29:46) The Migration Menu has been brought to you by James Staples and Luke Heslop, with help from Tina Boulton, Esther Opoku Debra and Vimal Dalal. If you have any questions or comments for us, send them in and we will address them in a future show, you can get in touch at info@themigrationmenu.com. Or on ‘X’ - formerly Twitter: @migration_menu.       Restaurant location: Yako 6 St Anns Road, Harrow HA1 1LG England  Menu dishes eaten:  Ceylon Chinese-Style chicken and sweetcorn soup  Southern Style Chicken Curry  Prawn Curry  Jackfruit Curry  Fish Curry  Seeni Sambal  Poppadoms  Hoppers ?  Pol Sambol  Gotu Kola  Kottu Roti  Menu: https://restaurantguru.com/Yako-Harrow/menu  To see images for this episode, click here.  Literature mentioned:  Daele, W. V. 2013. Igniting food assemblages in Sri Lanka: Ritual cooking to regenerate the world and interrelations, Contributions to Indian Sociology, 47(1), 33-60  Rival, L. 1990. The Social Life of Trees, Anthropological Perspectives on Tree Symbolism, Routledge  Tanaka, M. 1997. Patrons, Devotees and Goddesses: Ritual and Power Among the Tamil Fishermen of Sri Lanka, Delhi  For a list of academic literature on these topics and more, please see the list of extended bibliography on the references page or click here.   Guest speakers:   Lara de Soyza  Darshana Wathadura For more information, please visit our website: https://themigrationmenu.com/   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    30 min
  4. On The Spice Train

    07/30/2024

    On The Spice Train

    This week James and Luke are meeting Sujay Sohani and Subodh Joshi, co-founders of Sri Krishna Vada Pau – or SKVP, the acronym given to the chain by the restaurant’s followers on social media. Tapping into the current trend for vegetarian and vegan food, as well as for affordability, the Vada Pau – or the Mumbai burger, as it’s sometimes referred to – celebrates the street food of the pair’s native Mumbai.  **Introduction**(0:00 – 5:06)  (Starter)  James and Luke introduce Sujay Sahani and Subodh Joshi, the founders of Shree Krishna Vada Pav.  **Interview** (5:07 - 24:05) (Main)  Sujay and Subodh discuss the importance of originality and authenticity in their recipes.  **Post interview discussion** (24:06 – 29:50) ? James and Luke discuss how SKVP is simultaneously attractive to South Asian as well as British audiences.  (Dessert)  **Closing Remarks and acknowledgments** (29:51- 30:20)    The Migration Menu has been brought to you by James Staples and Luke Heslop, with help from Tina Boulton, Esther Opoku Debra and Vimal Dalal. If you have any questions or comments for us, send them in and we will address them in a future show, you can get in touch at info@themigrationmenu.com. Or on ‘X’ - formerly Twitter: @migration_menu.       Restaurant location: 23 High St Uxbridge UB8 1JN  Menu dishes eaten:  Vada Pau  Chow Patty Chaat  Onion and Potato Bhaji  Sweet Chai  Menu: https://skvp.co.uk/#_menu  To see images for this episode, click here. Literature mentioned:  Ray, K. 2016. Dreams of Pakistani Grill and Vada Pao in Manhattan: Immigrant Restaurateurs in a Global City, The Ethnic Restauranteur, Bloomsbury   For a list of academic literature on these topics and more, please see the list of extended bibliography on the references page or click here.   Guest speakers:  Sujay Sahani  Subodh Joshi  For more information, please visit our website: https://themigrationmenu.com/    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    30 min
  5. When My Back Is Against The Wall

    07/23/2024

    When My Back Is Against The Wall

    This week, James and Luke are meeting and eating with Sanjay Anand, MBE: owner of Madhu’s of Southall, as well as six other restaurants, including Madhu’s of Mayfair at The Dilly. He documents his family’s journey from India to Kenya, where he was born, and on to the UK, where – over the last four decades – he has seen venue managers going from turning their noses up at the aromas of South Asian cooking to begging for more. Madhu’s high chai now outsells its traditional English counterpart in some of the UK’s most elite hotels.  **Introduction** (0:00 – 6:11)  (Starter)  Luke and James describe the historical migration and the integration of South Asians in East Africa.  **Interview** (6:12 – 25:43)  (Main Course)  Sanjay discusses how catering runs in his family. He then goes onto explain how Kenyan influences factor into his cuisine.   **Post interview discussion** (25:44 – 35:36)  (Dessert)  James and Luke outline the importance of authenticity replication in Madhu’s cuisine and how his twice migrant status affects how home is represented.   Anna explains the creation and practice of British citizenship.   **Closing Remarks and acknowledgments** (35:37 – 36:13)  The Migration Menu has been brought to you by James Staples and Luke Heslop, with help from Tina Boulton, Esther Opoku Debra and Vimal Dalal. If you have any questions or comments for us, send them in and we will address them in a future show, you can get in touch at info@themigrationmenu.com. Or on ‘X’ - formerly Twitter: @migration_menu.   Restaurant location: Madhu’s, 39 South Road, Southall, Ealing UB1 1SW England  Menu dishes eaten:  Kadai Paneer  Makhani Dal  Jeera Chicken  Chilli Paneer  Amritsari Machi  Niama Choma  Prawn  Machuzi Kuku  Menu: https://www.madhus.co.uk/our-restaurants/southall/  To see images for this episode, click here.   Literature mentioned:  Lester, A., Boehme, K., & Mitchell, P. 2021. Ruling The World: Freedom, Civilisation and Liberalism in the Nineteenth-Century British Empire, Cambridge University Press  Yanagisako, S. J. 2002. Producing Culture and Capital: Family Firms in Italy, Princeton University Press  Nijjar, J. S. 2021. Baptised by fire: an interview with Suresh Grover, Race & Class, 62(3), 88-101  El- Enany, N. 2020. Bordering Britain: law, race and empire, Manchester University Press    For a list of academic literature on these topics and more, please see the list of extended bibliography on the references page or click here.  Guest Speakers:  Sanjay Anand  Anna Tuckett  For more information, please visit our website: https://themigrationmenu.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    36 min
  6. A Stomach for Business

    07/16/2024

    A Stomach for Business

    This week, James and Luke go to the heart of Southall. On the first of two visits to Madhu’s, they meet Ash Verma, a business consultant and former civil servant who travelled to the UK from India with his parents when he was just 8-years-old in 1958, and who over the last 50 years or so has played key roles in supporting the regeneration of West London, and the socio-economic development of the UK’s South Asian community. Having grown up in his father’s own Indian restaurant, like other interviewees, Ash is acutely aware of the role food, and the knowledge of food brought from homelands, plays in the migrant’s experience.  **Introduction** (0:00 – 6:18)  (Starter)  James and Luke discuss globalisation occurs within South Asian contexts.  **Interview** (6:19 – 24:10)  (Main Course)  Ash describes how his affinity for food arose from his father’s cooking and the formation of his father’s restaurant.  **Post interview discussion** (24:11 – 29:09)  (Dessert)  James and Luke discuss Ash’s father, placing him in the context of the value of nostalgia in replicating home.  **Closing Remarks and acknowledgments** (29:10 – 29:45)  The Migration Menu has been brought to you by James Staples and Luke Heslop, with help from Tina Boulton, Esther Opoku Debra and Vimal Dalal. If you have any questions or comments for us, send them in and we will address them in a future show, you can get in touch at info@themigrationmenu.com.Or on ‘X’ - formerly Twitter: @migration_menu.    Restaurant location: Madhu’s, 39 South Road, Southall, Ealing UB1 1SW England  Menu dishes eaten:   Kebabs  Samosas  Chops  Tikki   Black lentils,   Spiced chickpeas,   Braised lamb,   Stir fried vegetables  Methi Murgh  Menu: https://www.madhus.co.uk/our-restaurants/southall/  To see images for this episode, click here. Literature mentioned:  Barber, B. R. 1995. Jihad vs McWorld: How Globalism and Tribalism are Reshaping the World, Times Books  Watson, J. L. 1997. Golden Arches East: McDonald’s in East Asia, Stanford University Press  For a list of academic literature on these topics and more, please see the list of extended bibliography on the references page or click here. Guest speakers:  Ash Verma    For more information, please visit our website: https://themigrationmenu.com/         Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    30 min
  7. A Home Away From Home

    07/09/2024

    A Home Away From Home

    This week, James and Luke head to Southall for lunch at Saravanaa Bhavan, an international vegetarian Indian restaurant with branches in 27 countries across the world. They’re going there for lunch with Mukesh Gauthaman, whose ambitious project to reintroduce some of heirloom to his home village in Tamil Nadu and has brought him to the UK to study international business at Brunel. Saravanaa Bhavan offers both work and food from home.  **Introduction** (0:00 – 6:20)  (Starter)  James and Luke introduce Mukesh Gauthaman.  They also discuss how Southall acts as a region of projected homeland for South Asian diaspora.  **Interview** (6:21 – 15:49)  (Main Course)  James and Gauthaman discuss what foods they enjoy, Gauthaman ties this back to agriculture.  **Post interview discussion** (15:50 – 29:14)  (Dessert)  Dr Devanshi Chanchani shares her experiences and views of how Saravanaa Bhavan operates in India and how it has propelled authentic South Indian food into the mainstream.  James and Luke review this and discuss how restaurants like Saravanaa Bhavan showcase localised foods in a globalised way.  **Closing Remarks and acknowledgments** (29:15 – 29:50)  The Migration Menu has been brought to you by James Staples and Luke Heslop, with help from Tina Boulton, Esther Opoku Debra and Vimal Dalal. If you have any questions or comments for us, send them in and we will address them in a future show, you can get in touch at info@themigrationmenu.com. Or on ‘X’ - formerly Twitter: @migration_menu.  Restaurant location: Saravanaa Bhavan, 97 South Rd, Southall UB1 3AG  Menu dishes eaten:  Rasa Vada  White Rice  Hot Idly with Sambar and Chutneys  Business Meal- Limi  Menu: https://saravanabhavanlondon.co.uk/southall/  To see images for this episode, click here. Literature mentioned:  Baumann, G. 1996. Contesting Culture: Discourses of Identity in Multi-ethnic London, Cambridge University Press  Nasser, N. 2004. Southall’s Kaleido-scape: A study in the changing morphology of a west London suburb, Built Environment, 30(1), 76-103  Srinivas, T. 2015. Everyday Exotic, Transnational Space, Identity and Contemporary Foodways in Bangalore City, Food, Culture & Society, 10(1), 85-107  For a list of academic literature on these topics and more, please see the list of extended bibliography on the references page or click here.  Guest speakers:  Mukesh Gauthaman  Devanshi Chanchani  For more information, please visit our website: https://themigrationmenu.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    30 min
  8. For Biriyani, it's the Uxbridge Road

    07/02/2024

    For Biriyani, it's the Uxbridge Road

    This week, James and Luke went to Al Hyderabadi, on the Uxbridge Road, a busy thoroughfare which stretches from Uxbridge all the way to Southall. While Hyderabad – centre of the Mughal Empire in India’s Deccan South – is famous for the biriyani, we discovered that its dishes also owe a great deal to centuries of pan-oceanic trading and migration, and a particular connection to Yemen.  **Introduction**- (0:00 - 7:03)  (Starter)  James and Luke explain the expansive relationship of migration between the Arab world and South Asia, forming rich histories of cultural hybridity creating foods like an Indo-Arabian cuisine.   **Interview** (7:04 – 20:51)  (Main)  Sid discusses how select foods act as a symbol of national and home identity.  Mujeeb explains the Hyderabadi and ancient Mughal connection of the dishes.   **Post interview discussion** (20:52- 27:29)  (Dessert)  James and Luke discuss how Al Hyderabadi replicates Muslim Hyderabadi eating practices, with the menu and commensality reflecting this.   **Closing Remarks and acknowledgments** (27:30 – 28:07)  The Migration Menu has been brought to you by James Staples and Luke Heslop, with help from Tina Boulton, Esther Opoku Debra and Vimal Dalal. If you have any questions or comments for us, send them in and we will address them in a future show, you can get in touch at info@themigrationmenu.com. Or on ‘X’ - formerly Twitter: @migration_menu.  Restaurant location: Al Hyderabadi Mandi Biryani 1074 Uxbridge Road, Hayes UB4 0RJ England  Menu dishes eaten:  Sweet Chilli Chips  Masala Fish  Lamb Mandi  Chicken Biryani  Menu: https://alhyderabadi.co.uk/  To see images for this episode, click here.  Literature mentioned:  Brouwer, C. G. 2004. Pepper merchants in the booming port of al-Mukha: Dutch evidence for an oceanwide trading network. Die Welt Des Islams, 44(2), 214-280  Schoff, W. H. 1912. Periplus of the Erythraean Sea  Mukherjee, A. 2017. Gulf Migration and the Flows of Social Remittances: A Study of Barkas in Hyderabad, Sociological Bulletin, 66(1), 91-103  Willis, J. M. 2009. Making Yemen Indian: Rewriting the boundaries of Imperial Arabia, International Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, 41, 23-38  Osella, C. & Osella, F. 2010. Food, Memory, Community: Kerala as both ‘Indian Ocean’ Zone and as Agricultural Homeland, South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies, 31(1), 170-198  For a list of academic literature on these topics and more, please see the list of extended bibliography on the references page or click here.  Guest speakers:  Siddiqui Mohammed Shoeb   Mujeeb Mohammed  For more information, please visit our website: https://themigrationmenu.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    28 min
  9. There Will Always Be Momo

    06/26/2024

    There Will Always Be Momo

    This week, James and Luke travel to Namaste Gurkha in Feltham to examine how Nepalese food has been reimagined in West London. In doing so, they speak with Indra Hang Linden, one of the proprietors of Namaste Gurkha.  **Introduction** (0:00 - 3:41) (Starter)  -James discusses how globalization has affected what South Asians now eat for breakfast.  -Luke delves into how restaurant décor factors into authenticity and showcases homeland. **Interview** (3:42 -17:18) (Main)  -Indra discusses representations of Nepalese food, as well as how authenticity can be achieved. -Indra discusses how his Nepalese restaurant is marketed as Indian due to similar dishes. **Post interview discussion** (17:19 - 24:49) (Dessert)  -James and Luke review the role of Nepalese food in creating feelings of nostalgia and nationhood for migrants.   **Closing Remarks and acknowledgments** (24:50 - 25:27) The Migration Menu has been brought to you by James Staples and Luke Heslop, with help from Tina Boulton, Esther Opoku Debra and Vimal Dalal. If you have any questions or comments for us, send them in and we will address them in a future show, you can get in touch at info@themigrationmenu.com. Or on ‘X’ - formerly Twitter: @migration_menu.     Restaurant location: Namaste Ghurka, 1 Parkfield Parade, Feltham, Hounslow TW13 4HJ England  Menu dishes eaten:   Nepali Vegetarian Thali,   Vegetable Momo and tomato chutney  Chana Chatpate  Bhatmas/Badam Sandeko  Fermented Bamboo shoots  Menu: https://www.namastegurkharestaurants.co.uk  To see images for this episode, click here.  Literature mentioned:  Ray, K. 2004. The Migrants Table: Meals and Memories In Bengali- American Households, Temple University Press  Buettner, E. 2009. Chicken Tikka Masala, flock wallpaper and “real” home cooking: assessing Britain’s “Indian” restaurant traditions, Food and History, 7(2), 203-229   Pilcher, J. 2016. The Embodied Imagination in Recent Writings on Food History, The American Historical Review, 121(3), 861-887  For a list of academic literature on these topics and more, please see the list of extended bibliography on the references page or click here.  Guest Speakers:  Indra Hang Linden  For more information, please visit our website: https://themigrationmenu.com/    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    25 min
  10. Welcome to The Migration Menu

    06/07/2024

    Welcome to The Migration Menu

    Welcome to The Migration Menu Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 min
  • 10 Episodes

About

Journey from South Asia to West London through food as we explore migration, globalisation, entrepreneurship, and cultural heritage.   In the series, Prof James Staples and Dr Luke Heslop, anthropologists from Brunel University London, talk to restaurateurs and others about what food from their homeland means to them and why. They explore the rich array of culinary traditions that have made their way from South Asia and been made anew in West London, using food as an entry point to wider discussions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Luke Heslop and James Staples
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    10
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © The Migration Menu
  • Show Website
    The Migration Menu

To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

Stay up to date with this show

Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes, and get the latest updates.
Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada